Everyone has different academic experiences and outlooks. I was lucky enough to not find high school difficult. I am not sure looking back if that was a good thing or not. I had classes with heavy workloads and tough grading methodologies, but I was lucky enough not to struggle too often. There were many aspects of high school that I had become accustomed to after four years, but unfortunately, they did not transfer into my college experience. In fact, I had to learn many new tricks and skills as I began my college life. Now, as a sophomore, I am able to identify what I never learned in high school that I needed to grasp in order to survive college.

1. Study Skills

Truthfully, I was never the best studier. While I had always been and still remain a dedicated student, I never understood the depth in which I would need to study upon beginning college. Memorization had been my friend in high school, but in college, I needed to do much more than that. Throughout the past year and a bit, I have learned how to understand information much more deeply than just memorizing the details. I have also learned how to apply details and concepts more explicitly than just writing a definition word-for-word. When I began the next phase of my life as a college student, I felt inexperienced in terms of studying (not knowing this at the time) and suffered because of it. My university courses were unlike anything I had ever experienced, even during my AP high school classes. It was incredibly frustrating feeling so unprepared, especially since I consider myself to be a hardworking and determined student. I had to learn how to dedicate countless hours to a single subject rather than just breezing through the general basics of it.

2. Time Management

College is a whole new world. In high school, everything is structured. Classes run from 7:30-2:30, athletics and clubs begin at 3:00 and end anywhere between 3:30 and 6:00. From there I would return home to a family environment, where I would eat dinner and spend the rest of the night working on my homework. Weekends, and maybe weekdays when homework was sparse, would be dedicated to spending time with friends. In college, that entire dynamic changes. Classes are at random times for all of my friends and I, so immediately, spending time together is difficult. Then, clubs and athletics all occur at seemingly random and unstructured times as well. I quickly learned that college life would only work if I learned how to balance my time. If I wanted to enjoy the experience as much as I possibly could, I would have to learn to adjust my schedule. Easier said than done. On many occasions, I had to learn how to say no to proposed plans. Sadly, FOMO, the fear of missing out, is incredibly common, especially in college. If I see my friends going out for food, or bubble tea, or even just to hang out while I have to stay back, I am distraught at the idea of missing out. Should I go? Is it going to be the best time that I’m missing? Can I do it? It is a normal feeling to want to abandon all responsibilities to join them, but, I can't do that and am learning that that is okay! Saying no to plans is something that is important in order to maintain a balanced schedule. It took me a while to figure that out but I am finally getting there.

3. Prioritization

Unfortunately, it is impossible to get involved in everything on campus, especially at a large school with a myriad of organizations, clubs and athletics. Downfall can easily come in the way of an overbooked schedule and that is something I learned the hard way. Wanting to live my college life to the fullest, I immediately tried to involve myself in as many activities as possible. Despite how intrigued I was by these clubs and activities, I could not handle them on top of the adjustment to college life and the rigorous curriculum as well as a social life. In fact, it became too overwhelming and I was forced to cut my involvement. In high school, strict schedules and a lesser variety of clubs and activities made the decision of what to be involved in to be much easier. If club meetings conflicted, since they could only occur directly after classes ended, then I was forced to choose one. In college, clubs have such varying meeting times that it is very easy to be in multiple. Also, since college life holds an emphasis on branching out and meeting new people, involvement is seen as the best way to do so. In correlation, becoming more involved seems to create more connections to like-minded individuals. In high school, students were introduced through classes and a smaller community. On a large campus, it is nearly impossible to achieve that dynamic unless involved in clubs or activities.

College life is so different from high school life and looking back, I wish that I had been more prepared for the change. I wouldn’t change anything about my high school experience but I will say that no high school classes can or will teach you the key values of adapting to the college experience. It is very common to fall victim to these three key issues, but it is also easy to avoid them. As long as you put effort into studying and keep an eye on your schedule, you will be able to adjust a lot easier to college life. I am almost there