College began less than two months ago, and so much has happened I feel as if I’ve lived here all my life.
Here’s a brief synopsis of all that has happened: I left the home I lived in for over four years and moved in with a group of strangers. I learned my definition of studying was a bit inaccurate, and I had no idea what I was talking about when I called myself “studious” in high school. I learned that surviving takes a lot more work than I thought it did… this list could actually go on forever, so I think I’ll end it here.
Dorming has been a bit different than all the Youtube “college day in my life” videos I binge-watched throughout my last days in high school and the entire summer before starting freshman year. Living on my own is not all rainbows and unicorns like I thought it would be. Don’t get me wrong, it is so fun and I enjoy doing things at my own time on my own pace, but this very independence is what I was not expecting.
I can wake up for class at whatever time I want, there is no one to wake me up and tell me that I’m going to be late. I can sleep or nap for as long as I want without being told I’m wasting time and I have things to do. I can now have breakfast, lunch and dinner all at 8 pm because I forgot to eat all day. I thought I was an independent person all my life, but I really underestimated the importance of having structure in my life, even if that structure was my parents nagging me all the time.
Academically, college is a completely different world than high school. For starters, I have learned that professors don’t give you a heads up on when assignments or quizzes are due or even announce that there are assignments and quizzes, because it’s all in the syllabus. You are responsible for knowing important dates. Also, having straight A’s in high school does not mean you can carry on your study habits and expect the same results. Studying for tests in college is not something you can pull off the night before an exam, or simply make a Quizlet for. You have to actually actively learn the concepts in-depth and be able to recognize what it is that you are unsure about, and then take the initiative to go to tutoring or office hours.
All in all, college is not exactly what I was expecting. I’m not only learning in the classroom, I’m also learning, every minute of the day, things beyond what any textbook could ever teach me. In less than two months I have learned that a huge aspect of life is taking initiative and being proactive. Whether it be setting up an appointment to ask a professor for help, or remembering to drink water everyday, have more than one meal a day, find a balance between having a social life and taking care of yourself, and making sure you don’t fall behind in class.