My very first semester as a college student was this semester. It was undoubtedly the semester I would benefit the most by being the first. I discovered that I would have to live up to my writing standards for the next four years of my college career. When this year concludes with finals, I will be the first to say that my first college year did not go as well as I hoped. I missed my high school friends badly and felt very uneasy because I spent so long calling one of them. I certainly learned a lot from this semester. If I could give an incoming college student one piece of advice, I might encourage you not to think about what could happen, but just to make something happen. Would you like to get a head start next week on the English essay? I’m essentially telling you to go for what you want. I’m going to start writing today. For all of us, tomorrow is never guaranteed, and life is far too brief to survive with continued remorse or dwelling on the past.
I don’t know where to start, because it makes me both sad, excited, and confused to think about writing this message. Sad, because I’ve ended my first college year already; relieved, because I’m happy it’s over and puzzled, because, exactly, where did the time go? The very first week before classes had even begun, was the most complicated. I still recall skipping classes at 8:05 because I was out so late the previous night. In high school, when such activities were due, the teacher would continually remind the students, but this was not the case in college. I discovered it in my first semester, the hard way. Often when I did not read my syllabus correctly and my professor never discussed it, I neglected to send in an assignment. These were all fresh problems that could potentially have worsened without taking the right steps. I have seen people talk about their college experiences over my life to describe how college is meant to be the best experience of your life.” I use the summer after my senior year to try to envision what my first semester would be like based on what I had told people. I experienced obstacles and hurdles that I had never heard about in those prior talks about the college experience.
My first semester in college is just over a week away and I can confess that I’m counting down the days. I’m pretty proud of myself that I made it to this stage because for me it was a tough semester, as I’m sure all college freshmen would say. With the whole pandemic, we all had to make use of this modern way of studying. The amount of effort you bring into each course is exceptional. It’s not like high school, where at the last minute you can pull something together, especially when it’s come to exams. In one day, it is almost difficult to learn a whole semester worth of content, let alone one all-nighter. This was something I had to learn to relate to not procrastinating. How to properly handle time is the greatest lesson I’ve learned over the past semester. I was active in numerous sports in high school and still managed to maintain high marks. I’ve learned in college, though, that I can’t be interested in anything and keep on top of my workload in the class. There is a thin line between being excessively dedicated to organizations and co-curricular programs and loving college functions. Also, I learned to plan every day of the week to use my spare time more efficiently for homework and to have free time for myself. While it may not be as much fun to prep for an exam as hanging out with a friend, I have discovered how important it is to budget time and not overly devote yourself to co-curricular activities.
However, I was happily shocked by how easy each course was. They made it sound like university classes were difficult in high school, but honestly, it wasn’t for me. I just had a mid-term, essay and review for certain courses, which I found rather rewarding as it would allow me to concentrate on my continuous work in journalism throughout, and not think too much about those courses before each part came up. If I had to give you one tip in terms of planning your course, it would be to have a month-by-month calendar of your whole semester with all of your due dates and exam days are written in. Using my electronic calendar and logging all the due dates for the semester from the beginning of the semester there was what I find most useful. If I were to give you one tip in terms of preparing your course, with all your due dates and exam days written in, it would be to include a month-by-month calendar of your whole semester. I considered it most convenient to use my electronic calendar and to document all the due dates for the semester from the beginning of the semester.
My first semester of college was surreal. I feel that part of me was still trying to wrap my head around the concept that I was on my own for the first time, even though of the whole at home teaching. This semester I achieved my goal of getting a good grade in my classes. I redefine my expectations because I can focus more doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll be in class 100% of the time, always alert, always getting A’s. I still need my relaxation days, my skip assignments, at least SOME times. I also became better with my time management. Time management was the key to my success during my first semester. I was very diligent about keeping track of my assignments, due dates, and schedules. I have developed so many skills and acquired a tremendous amount of knowledge in such a short space of time, it seems. After the final assignments have been submitted and my first year is officially over, I can begin to relax starting with my holiday.
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