10
Essential College Truths.
Some people have a harder
time with the transition to college than others.
College is going to be a rough ride for those of you who have not come to terms with
College is going to be a rough ride for those of you who have not come to terms with
certain essential truths,so I'm here to lay some of them out for you. This
is probably applicable for
the rest of life for the most part as well,but I think
it definitely begins to
come into play during college. This is part one of a series.
1 . You do not know anything. I'm not joking
about this. High school is when
you learn everything and college is when
you learn you do not know anything. Your
textbooks are being revised every
year. You get to the level of science classes
where they have literally
discovered and rewritten parts of your textbooks. The
Pluto not being a
planet anymore thing? Remember how earth-shaking that was?
Happens all the
time. College is less about knowing your whole textbook and
more about
realizing how much more there is to learn and how ever-changing
the nature
of knowledge is.
2 . Even so, your classes will often be outdated. Most
classes are still based
off of you having to actually remember and know things.
The fact is, in the real
world, you will have to understand concepts and have a
strong and broad overview
of many topics, but most things can be solved by
google and critical thinking
in the real-world. You will have calculators
and the internet and probably a
smartphone instead of having to have an encyclopediac
knowledge of your field.
This is not true of your tests. Good luck.
3 . Most of your grades will be based on 2 exams and a couple
papers. You will
be used to having a lot of homework and participation
type-grades to fluff your
grades. You will rarely have such luxuries in
college. Fail one exam? Get ready to
fight to the death for a C.
4 . People do not wash their hands as often as you want them
to. Beware. Carry hand
sanitizer and wash your hands. Dorms
are cesspools. You almost definitely will get
some form of sickness in your
first couple months of school due to the new
environment and the proximity
to new people's germs.
5 . Some people are not worth your time. Learn
who is and who isn't early on.
Evaluate the people in your life every once
in a while and decide whether or not
they are worth the esteem you give them.
Sometimes it changes. By the same
token, not everyone is going to like you and
not everyone is going to make you a priority.
6 . First impressions and instincts are important but not
everything. Remember that
first impressions are only first
impressions, but your instincts will pick up on information
you don't
consciously process. If something doesn't feel right, especially if you are
alone,
do not put up with the situation.
7 . Everyone changes in college. Yes,
even you. This is very much a result of how and
with whom you spend your
time. Expose yourself to as much diversity as possible.
Once again, it is very
important who you spend your time with. They will shape
your values and
ideas and challenge the ones you have already established.
8 . You will make mistakes. Get
over it. It is going to happen You're going to make
a fool of yourself. Someone
will over react to something you did. Things will get blown
out of proportion.
That doesn't make things your fault and you are not responsible
for anyone's
actions but your own. Own up to mistakes and let go.
9 . Mental health issues are common. They
are extremely common. Anxiety in
particular is on the rise. It's not a big
deal to ask for help. It's not uncommon for
you to find out about a friend
having issues or for you to experience new issues at
college age. The main
thing is not to be free of mental health issues, it's to
manage
them when and if they arise. Take care of yourself and your friends.
Don't make it
a bigger deal than it is but take it seriously.
10 . You will not wake up as early for classes in college as you
managed to do for high school.
It's just a fact.
Anything before 11am will be a struggle, especially if you want
breakfast. 6:30
was a fine time to start the day in high school. It is not in college
but
for a very select few.
- See more at:
http://www.harperhoney.com/2013/04/10-essential-college-truths.html?m=1#sthash.Cav6EBUU.dpuf
10 Truths About College Life
The stuff you don't hear while on your campus tour
College is awesome.
College is a special time. College is the best years of your life... blah,
blah, blah we already know this. What about the messy stuff that happens while
we're here? What about the milestones that are reached that no one seems
to notice? What about the never-ending list of tasks that must be completed
before you leave here? There are so many wonderful things that happen while
you're in your undergraduate years, but there is also some super real
and scary events that occur while you're here as well. You know, the stuff
that the campus tour guides don't want your fragile high school ears to hear
(or your parents). Now that you've already been sold on the fantastic place
that's said to be college, let's unleash the truth about this sacred institution.
1. The cafeteria isn't that good: This
is unfortunate because we all know that the way to the heart is through food.
But, it's true, the caf really isn't all that it's cracked up to be. If you're
fortunate enough to be near a good cafeteria, you'll without a doubt be sick of
it by the end of the first month of classes. There's just something about caf
food that is only appealing sometimes. Oh and you may gain some weight...
Holla.
2. You're actually going to really miss home: The yearn for your parents touch and
cooking has never been so real. You'll start to miss the annoying sound of your
mother's nagging and your dad obnoxiously blowing his nose in the bathroom
while you're trying to sleep. This doesn't only apply to freshmen, everyone
experiences this.
3. Being independent is harder than you thought: Dragging
your butt to class and being accountable for your meals and expenses is tough.
Yes, expenses. If you don't already loathe dealing with money, you'll start to
as soon as you have to have some sort of budget and start paying bills.
4. Your heart will get broken: If you didn't find love in high school,
you'll find it here. All people won't get their hearts broken, but most will
for the simple factor that you let yourself start liking someone and they
either don't like you or they fall deeply in love for a month or two and then
leave you out in the cold like a lonely, confused, heart broken mess.
5. Some professors really aren't very good: At all. You either get the professor that
has a Russian accent so deep your ears bleed trying to translate his words or
the professor that assigns 8 books worth of reading, yet covers none of the
material in class.
6. You will meet your best friend: BFFL was defined at a college campus (not
really, but let's go with it). The friends you make at college are without a
doubt the friends you will have for life. It's something to do with maturity,
finding yourselves together, and having various mental, emotional and
physical break downs while you're at college.
7. You will either change your mind a lot or be so certain
of everything that it drives you crazy: Even the ones with the set-in-stone four
year plan doubt themselves; it's only natural at a place with endless
opportunities and constant thoughts that make you second guess yourself. They
do say that the average college kid changes his or her mind four times.
8. You will have at least one bad roommate: And that person will drive you to near
insanity, I promise you.
9. If you live somewhere cold, you will develop a hatred so deep
for winter that you often contemplate on quitting life and moving to Bora Bora: The chill that is winter will never be more
real than when you have to walk your butt to class every single day in it.
There will be side-ways wind, massive snow masses to walk through, and runny
noses that allows snot to freeze to your mouth while outside. It's
s'cute.
10. You will either fall in love with your school or hate it so
much that you transfer: More
times than not, the first happens. But, if you happen to be the latter, then
you will most likely fall in love with your second or third (or fourth) school
and finally understand the obsessed freaks who have already experienced this
love.
http://theodysseyonline.com/msu/10-truths-about-college-life/86381
In reading both the articles I feel like it had a lot of good stuff that I already knew and things that I did not. Both of the articles are very helpful and my brief thoughts on them were that while touring colleges many of the tour guides say all the good things someone would want to hear. The other thing is about the caf food. Most colleges I toured did not have the best food but anything good when you are hungry. I am really scared of the freshmen 15 and I plan to make sure my dorm is full of healthy snacks cause nobody got time for extra weight.
ReplyDeleteI found the tips in both articles true. One of the ones I connected most to was, "Most of your grades will be based on 2 exams and a couple papers." This is how it is now in some of my college classes and I really like it as long as I do good on the exams. The second one that I connected to was "The cafeteria isn't that good". When we toured some colleges, the food was not good. I guess this is why your meal card can be used at surrounding locations because they know college students will not like it. But, if you are hungry, I guess you will have to eat it.
ReplyDeleteThere is a couple of things that I don't agree with. Actually it was most of it. I feel like this doesn't apply to us as Early College Students because we have already been through our Associate's Degree. We also toured the campuses as well, which gives us another advantage and most we at least got to try the food. Even if the food isn't good they have other places on campus as well as down the road.
ReplyDeleteI agree with many things within these articles, but I also disagree with others. I agree that professors will not be good, the cafeteria is not that great, and that we all will make mistakes, just for a few. I didn't like the idea of getting sick within a few months of living in a dorm because people aren't very clean. I like to be clean and keep my area clean, so this may be a problem for me if I were to get a roommate who is exactly opposite. I do however feel that it will be easier for us as Early College students because we are already use to college, in a sense. We are use to the way classes tend to go and professors, but we are not use to living off on our own and experiencing new things.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the first article when it talks about most grades will be based on 2 exams and a few papers, also that people dont wash their hands as often as we think, i will make mistakes. Most was true statements. For the second article it stated true statements as well like i probably will miss home and the cafeteria food probably wont be that good, being independent is rough and some people might really struggle at first with it.
ReplyDeleteI can definitely agree with bullet number 3 in the first article about having only 2 exams and a couple of papers. Only having two exams will sometimes drive you crazy because if you fail the first exam, you're screwed. It's very important that you take good notes and pay attention in classes with just two exams. In the second article I agree with the statement "you will meet your best friend". College is a big milestone for most people and finding someone that will make your college experience a little bit fun and easier makes things much better.
ReplyDeleteIn the first article, tip number 8 will relate to me the most. I panic over the little things and over being called out by that one loud mouth person. It has happened way too many times and I still can't look at that person straight. I just feel that I will embarrass myself way too many times to count. In the second article, the seventh bullet or statement can be included with my everyday now in the present. I am always changing my mind and I bet I will still change my mind. I think I know what I want to become, but I will not set it in stone and just head towards a major and see what job opportunities await me.
ReplyDeleteBetween both of these articles, I was able to gleam some semblance of ingenuity on the writers' parts. Two thing in particular that I felt strongly about were:
ReplyDelete1) I also agree that I do not know anything and am glad that someone else sees it as such.
2) I do not agree with the second author's sentiment on cooler climates. I find the cold to be agreeable weather, and I am looking forward to possibly attending school in Massachusetts.
I like both of the articles and I think they both gave good insight on things to expect in college. A lot of things that were mentioned in the articles are things that I can already relate like some professors not being very good or only have two exams during the whole class. Some of the other things that were mentioned are things that I have heard a lot about and I can agree with some of things before even going to college like managing money, independence, and home sickness. I am sure these will things I will have to deal with and it is good know that most people will deal with these things as well.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that I think was very interesting about these articles is the fact that they showcased light on how college actually is and not this "surreal" place that we as students have created in our minds.
ReplyDelete1. The first article skimmed the water and discussed things we've luckily learned in AVID, but it was definitely helpful. Point 8 speaks the most to me because I obsess over mistakes that I made or mistakes I think I made. I can't just "get over" something, I will literally over-think it until I realize that it's unhealthy. I also like point 6 because first impressions are everything for some people and in college first impressions are important, especially with professors.
ReplyDelete2. The author definitely didn't feel the need to sugar coat everything, she literally laid everything out on the table. Although at first I was thinking the article was negative, I then realized that it was a good thing. It's like a warning for the events that will occur while we're in school. I'm glad I was able to read it and know that most people experience the same highs and lows while away at school.
I agree with most of these tips especially you will make mistakes and being independent is not as easy as you thought! This is true for anybody and anything! However there are something's that I don't agree with. For instance that we do not know anything I feel like we as early college students understand and know a little more than regular high school students. Although we still do not know everything and still have along way to go and a lot to learn!
ReplyDeleteWell, I agree that I don't know anything. But this applies to both articles, they're telling you how it truly is. They're not trying to give you this great BS view of how it's gonna be.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read the first article, I thought to myself that I am happy to be in early college because those are the things that prepare us for and make sure to succeed in when we go to a college or a university. The second one shocked me as well. I loved how they said that the school food isn't good, no school food is great but the few school that we were luck to visit had lunches that weren't terrible.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading these two articles I found a lot of stuff to be true even on a small scale like Nash. So I'm sure it will be enhanced at a four year university. I am also hoping that I will not experience having a terrible roommate as that will ruin my experience.
ReplyDeleteI agree with these articles and I will struggle with most of these. I already hate the cold so I'm definitely going to hate it in Asheville. Although these are scary thoughts I've already been through most of them, and I know I could do it again when the opportunity rises.
ReplyDeleteI have found these to be true even at the community college level. There are instances of this throughout the entire educational system. These truths are unavoidable as the articles say and i'm looking forward to overcoming these obsticals.
ReplyDeleteI agree that I will probably make a mistake or two and yes I agree that I will probably get a bad roommate at some point. These are just facts of life and I will learn to deal with both of these later this year in August.
ReplyDeleteBy reading these articles I feel that they really exposed what the true college experience is all about. I also really think that being in ECHS makes us already aware at such a young age. It also gives us the true reality that we don't know everything. Overall, I found these articles very intriguing.
ReplyDeleteThese articles are most likely proven facts. They are not necessarily bad but it does shun light on the reality of the college land high school experience. Most people use the term "Dream school". This article differentiates the dream and realities people will face in college.
ReplyDeleteWe hold these truths to be self-evident. Also I agree with number 2.
ReplyDeleteThe first article showed me that mental health issues are much more common at a University and that getting up early is less common. I definitely agree with the second article when it said that I will begin to miss home and that being so independent will be a struggle.
ReplyDeleteThese articles are very interesting I feel like to some degree that they are right. Also it also gets us prepared for life which is good. I do agree that will meet new people but that is something that I am dreading. I know I am going to make mistakes so I am afraid that I may make a mistake that cannot come back from.
ReplyDeleteI found both of these articles to be entertaining, especially the second one. The way they worded the points they were trying to get across were funny to me. My second thought is that I can find some of these true already. I have often sat down and wondered about life and the people who I am dealing with, and wondering if they are even worth the energy, because sometimes people can be woresome.
ReplyDeleteI like both articles but most of the stuff they talked about I already knew just because of what I have heard from other friends that are in college now, but that's how things work in life you will have your ups and down but its called "regression to the mean" which means as bad or as good as things ever are, they will always balance out in the end.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this article , I now see that being on my own is not going to be as fun as I thought it would be. I knew it was going to be challenging but I wasn't expecting for it to be that bad. Another thing that caught my attention was the fact that one of the articles said that your heart will be broken and I don't know how I feel about going through that again.
ReplyDeleteBoth the articles were very insightful. We leave High School thinking we know everything when actually we may not know anything thing. School is going to be very fun sure but it will be a challenge unlike most we will experience. We will have to stay on top of our game and make sure that we do not get behind. College is not about partying and doing what you want but rather learning things that you would never have known. Not to mention it will help you get a career.
ReplyDeletePeople do not wash their hands as often as you want them to, so I am prepared to wash my hands and use hand sanitizer. I understand a lot of the information and I am prepare for the change that is to come. Both of the articles are interesting and give interesting information regarding college.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading the first blog more than the second one! In the first blog Number 8-"You will make mistakes" stood out to me! It let me know that things will happen and that I'll just have to get over it! The second article seemed a little nonchalant!
ReplyDeleteI will most likely go crazy in college especially late at night when alone. I will still probably get mid day classes cause even 8 o clock classes im having trouble getting to.
ReplyDeleteMy second thought is about the cafeteria food at colleges. Being in Early College I've be able to experience some and see how to food was for that day. The food was good and even some of the students said the same but I guess that depends on the student also.
ReplyDeleteThe first article reassured me that it is okay to have moments of worry and stress. It is definitely not uncommon to face issues while off at college, I just need to know who I can go to simply talk things out. This article also made another point that really hit home with me, that it is alright to make mistakes. Everyone does, you just need to know how to learn from them and move on.
ReplyDeleteThe second article basically laid it all out there when it comes to the social interaction at college, did not sugar coat anything. I need to be aware of the friendships I could make, the problems I could possibly have with a roommate, and the fact that I will have my moments of homesickness.
I agreed with most of the things the article mentioned. A lot of the things the articles talked about, we have already experienced. The second article said "You're going to miss home". I disagree with this. When I go off to WCU, I don't think I'm going to miss Rocky Mount or my family. I know when I leave for college, I'm not going to go back home much. I also disagree with the statement "being independent is harder than you thought". I don't think being independent will be hard for me. I like to be independent and do things on my own without other's help.
ReplyDeleteThe first article is about the right of being a first year student, being scared, worried, but they tell you its normal. While the second article is about the social concepts of college.
ReplyDeletesome of this dose not apply t us because we are early vcollege soit was just like yea okay moments. but other of it did so it was very informative.it also shinned some light on what college topick excpexally what peplle consider as dream school.
ReplyDelete