Freshman Year of College

Before I begin, I wanted to say thank you to the 300+ people who read my first article "What High School Taught Me." I wrote it in my second semester of college and now that I have completed my first year in college, I thought "Why not write about my freshman college experience?" So, here we go.

Now, it can be stressful applying for colleges and deciding where to go, but once you pick your college, it's time to get ready for classes. I can't really speak on dorming since I have a 10-minute commute to my college, but from what I have heard from my best friend, it has its ups and downs. With dorming, it is easier for you to make new friends and meet new people from different parts of the state and/or country. You can have friends to go to class with, eat out, and even enjoy a night of fun. However, like every single person, we fight and argue and have disagreements. Unfortunately, these people can be your roommates, which can be difficult since you two sleep in the same room.

While I don't know much about dorming except for what I've heard, I do know about classes and everything else! When going to college, it can be intimidating especially if you went to a small high school such as the one I went to. I will be honest, not everything they say about college to scare you or "warn" you is true... part of the time. It will be a lot of work and some professors won't be so lenient with homework or projects and will be quick to remind you that you are no longer in high school. Homework is due on the day it is due, no if, ands, or buts. If you oversleep and miss a test or just don't feel like going to class and miss a pop quiz, oh well. In college everyone is 18 years and older, so therefore you are treated and expected to act like an adult. You are responsible for everything, unless it's the teacher's fault.

Now I am not sure if this true for ALL colleges, but for mine, the 15-minute rule applies. Now if you have no clue what the 15-minute rule is, I will gladly explain. The 15-minute rule basically means that if the professor does not show up to class 15 minutes after it is supposed to start, and does not give you a notice that they will be running late, class is automatically canceled and you can leave. This has happened to me twice and I happily went home. Other times, the professor will announce to the class if they will be absent, but most of the time they will email the class the night before or the morning of. But if the teacher doesn't cancel class and shows up, don't just skip class. Skipping a college class is the equivalent of skipping 2-4 periods in high school, which means you can be missing A LOT of information.

On the first day of classes, don't worry if others looked more relaxed or are a lot less stressed out than you. Remember, not everyone in your class is a freshman, and there are possible seniors, juniors, and sophomores who have most likely taken the class already or have already had the professor. Don't be afraid to ask the professor, or other students if you don't understand the material or if you missed something said. Take advantage of your professor's office hours, writing centers (if your college has one), or peer tutors. If you understand the material yourself and know someone who is struggling, offer to tutor them or help them out (you might even make a little money). In college, there are so many resources that you can take advantage of. It's just a matter of finding out what you need, where you need to go, and who you need to talk to.

Also in college, my favorite part is the flexibility. In college, you create your own schedules to the times that can either accommodate your work schedule, your sleep schedule, or even your free time. Personally, I like to take morning classes, because you can get everything done and finish by lunchtime or earlier and you have the whole day to yourself. Of course with evening classes, you can sleep in and enjoy your morning and be wide awake for class. Now, scheduling on your own can be a little overwhelming, especially if you have many classes you need to get through before the approximate graduation date. Don't be afraid to take to your counselors; they are there to make sure you are taking the right classes at the right time.

There are so many things I could go on about, from the food to the parking and even time management. If you have a question you want to ask, even if it's about certain classes or courses, make sure to reach out!

Thank you for reading and congrats to everyone who has and will be graduating as the class of 2018!