going to college next year...

disneyfan05

"When you wish upon a star, your dreams come true"
Joined
Nov 8, 2004
hey! i'm heading off to college next year and i was wondering what college life is really like. some of my friends have said its easier than high school and its so much more fun. i would really appreciate any tips, info, or help to get me ready for college life? thanks!!! :Pinkbounc :banana: :love2:

:thewave:
 
College is simply what you make of it. Yes there are those party schools but just about any school can be a party school if you wanted it to be. College can be a lot easier than HS in many ways but it can also be a lot harder as well. It can be easier in the sense that if you really get into your major then you won't have a problem with it and will enjoy doing the work for it. You will also find that actually talking to your professors will probably get you further on than just sitting there droning out in class. It can be harder in the sense of finding a direction in life. Don't expect to really enjoy your major all that much, there are a ton of people that will change their major early and some that change their major later on in their college life. Roommates are always going to be a tough thing to handle, even if its your best friend. You will quickly see a lot of best friend relationships start to fade quickly b/c they find out they can't live with each other. Random roommates that you don't know aren't really the best either as you will find their views are completely polar to yours. This is just the tip of the ice for what college is really about and no matter what anyone says about it, you really can't understand it until you go through it yourself.
 
I think the hardest part of college is learning to be responsible for yourself. Nobody is going to blast you out of bed or back up your alarm clock. It's easy to blow off a class now and then, or ignore the homework to go party, but it really IS up to you to make yourself go to school, study regularly, etc. Your profs aren't going to be interested in why you're late or why you were absent (honest...I'm married to one, I hear all the excuses). It's your responsibility to get notes/work missed, to do the studying, get the projects finished on time (having a test in one class on the day a project is due in another isn't an excuse for lateness in either!), etc. I've had many undergrads working in my lab and they all think that learning to be responsible for yourself and manage your time wisely was the biggest adjustment to make...a couple of my juniors and seniors are still struggling with the balancing act! Sorry to be a bummer...believe me, I was the queen of procrastination in college (still am!), more accustomed to all-nighters than to regular study habits...I had a great time, my grades weren't so great (didn't get in to my first 3 choices of grad schools)...it's just so easy to let stuff slide until a major panic hits!
 
For me College is much easier then high school. It could be because I didn't care about school work in high school and I just focused on athletics, but now that I am more focused on school work, its so much easier to do well. It is very true once you get general education requirements out of the way and get into your major, the classes will get easier, only because its something you enjoy! Lets see, one of my good friends from high school has been my room mate for a couple of years and thats actually going surprisingly well! We have actually become closer. Last year, we moved into a four bedroom apt with the girls that lived down the hall from us first year. We got along wonderful first year, but now its an absolutely horrible living environment. So really, the room mate situation is completely random. Things and people change. I have found that my professors are a lot more personable then the teachers I had in high school. I know a lot of people will probobly disagree, but the professors that I have ever had are a lot easier to talk to and get to know. I have found that by talking to them after class, going to get help from them, and participating in class really does help in the long run! College really is what you make of it. If you want to have fun and try, you will! Good Luck and if you have any questions feel free to ask!

Jess
 


For me college is a lot harder than high school. As a senior I could go to class, pay attention, take good notes and I would do fine when test time came around. Now, you really do need to keep up with the reading and "suggested homework" every day to understand and do well on an exam. Also, for some of my classes the entire grade is based on only two exams... nothing else.

I completely agree that it is up to you to take responsibility for your education (as difficult as it can be), but college is also a blast. Living with 30 of my best friends is like having a sleepover every night.

It's really hard to compare the two, because I find college to be soooo different from high school, but just stay focused and certinally allow yourself to have fun once in a while! :)
 
Thank you all for your advice and information. i do have another question. do you think that what you major in matters if your going to have a good time? like myself, im majoring in Pre-Pharmacy. as of right now im taking Advanced Placement Chemistry to help me and to test out of chemistry. also i plan on living at home because i live only about 20 minutes away from where im attending. do you think i will miss out on the college experiance if i don't dorm? lastly, i'm debating on joining the marching band when i get into college. i've been in band since 5th grade and it would be wierd not to take it. any input would be appreciated! Thanks again!
 
Honestly I think you're crazy for wanting to stay at home while in college. In no way do i think it is a bad thing as I had to live at home for a semester when i came back from my college program, but college is really all about finding out who you are and experiencing a whole lot of new and different people. When you're at home you are more likely to be bogged down with rules and what not, if you're not living at home then obviously you won't have those rules. Once you leave the house it quickly becomes harder to want to go back to it.

Your major will play a big factor on if you will have more fun or not. If you do not like your major then you will more likely to become stressed out and will burn out quickly b/c you're so worried with everything.
 


I would advise you to try living on campus at least one quarter. Living on campus is an experience that I think everyone should have, like college is not complete without it. I like 2 hours away from school so living on campus was a definite for me. I would say that if you are going to commute to school then you should get involved, because it is harder to get involved if you don't like 5 mins away from everything.
 
I am a college student (adult student) and due to my family situation, I have never lived on campus.

Personally, I don' t find it crazy. I never found the idea of living with strangers appealing. I also do many online courses so I don't have to step into a classroom, so my college experience varies significantly than most students.

Do what is right for you and your situation. Thats the best advice I can give you.
 
Cindy B said:
I am a college student (adult student) and due to my family situation, I have never lived on campus.

Personally, I don' t find it crazy. I never found the idea of living with strangers appealing. I also do many online courses so I don't have to step into a classroom, so my college experience varies significantly than most students.

Do what is right for you and your situation. Thats the best advice I can give you.

You are an adult student though. Most of the time when you go to college and you're 18 and everyone else is living on campus, you tend to find it difficult to make friends and have that social aspect that is so important at that age in school. (Especially when all your friends from home might be far away).

Try it for a semester. Two of the girls in my apartment are pharmacy, and although they have a bunch of work, they both have GPAs over 3.4 (I forget exactly what they are). You need a balance of school and fun when you have an intense major like that, and it might be hard to get at home.

Not to mention the fact that going away to school is a huge learning experience, a time for change. Living at home won't really give you the chance to grow as a person and to see what it's like to move away for the first time.

If you don't think that you're ready to dorm at school, then by all means, don't. If you can though I would give it a shot. You only live 20 minutes away, you can travel home whenever you want :)
 
Cindy B said:
I am a college student (adult student) and due to my family situation, I have never lived on campus.

Personally, I don' t find it crazy. I never found the idea of living with strangers appealing. I also do many online courses so I don't have to step into a classroom, so my college experience varies significantly than most students.

Do what is right for you and your situation. Thats the best advice I can give you.

You are an adult student though. Most of the time when you go to college and you're 18 and everyone else is living on campus, you tend to find it difficult to make friends and have that social aspect that is so important at that age in school. (Especially when all your friends from home might be far away).

Try it for a semester. Two of the girls in my apartment are pharmacy, and although they have a bunch of work, they both have GPAs over 3.4 (I forget exactly what they are). You need a balance of school and fun when you have an intense major like that, and it might be hard to get at home.

Not to mention the fact that going away to school is a huge learning experience, a time for change. Living at home won't really give you the chance to grow as a person and to see what it's like to move away for the first time.

If you don't think that you're ready to dorm at school, then by all means, don't. If you can though I would give it a shot. You only live 20 minutes away, you can travel home whenever you want :)
 

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