Here we go. Another cliche article about the first year of college. This is where I talk about what I've learnt and what I think some differences are between high school and college...there are many. One thing that you will hear throughout high school is how hard college is. Do not, I repeat do not take that lightly. College will kick your butt over and over again and just when you think you've got a grip...BAM!
Saying college is hard is an understatement. You will experience so many sleepless nights. You will go through professors whose teaching styles do not allow you to reach your full potential. You will get horrible grades when you have spend hours studying but it is okay. You will always find a way to make up for those grades. Curves are a thing a of the past. Unless the whole class collectively does bad or the teacher is generous...you can forget curves even exist in the educational world.
Freshmen 15 is a real thing. For those that are not aware of what this is - it is when basically saying during the first year of college you gain a lot of weight. The reason being, you are just adjusting to a new way of life. Everywhere you turn, there is some sort of food source calling your name. This is especially true for city colleges like VCU because there are so many restaurants and food trucks within close proximity. There are no parents around to kind of monitor what you are eating. Depending on the residential hall you live in at VCU, you are required to have a certain dining plan which leads to excess eating. Stress eating is very real!
College is a place for growth. This is where hopefully many will leave behind the high school mentality and start to developed into a person they want to be, if they have not already. You grow not only as a person, but mentally also. You will learn things that open your mind and turns you into a critical thinker. You will change the way you think through the interactions you have and the professors who hold you to a higher standard.
Life long friends are just another plus to being in college. At college you really make connections with like minded people who end up becoming family one way or another. You don't even have to be an extrovert to find friends because college is so full of diverse personalities, you are bound to find at least a handful of people just like you. Once you find that group of people who cannot live without, do not be afraid to venture out there and find more friends. The more, the merrier!
The teaching structures can be a bit of a shock if you have never had anything like it. There are so many lecture classes that will make you want to fall asleep. Once you get through the pre reqs/required class for your major, you can start to have fun. Do not skip class. Once you start to skip, it is so hard to stop skipping. Without anyone telling you to go to class, it is so easy to just decide not to go. I promise you skipping is the worst thing ever. Skipping one class is like skipping a whole entire week.
Make friends in class because if at some point you do decide to skip - they are going to be your saving grace. Study groups will help a lot. Having someone else explain something to you and also explaining class material is a great way to study. Just having friends in that same class to study with can be a blast. Always remember to reserve study rooms ahead of time because they go fast, especially during exam time.
Being a teacher's pet is a great thing. Teachers totally play favorites and when you are in their good graces, they tend to be more understanding. Be friends with your professors. Whatever you do - do not read rate my professor. It's a horrible thing to go into a classroom with someone else's judgement of a professor. Majority of the time, people on rate my professor are just angry they did not get what they want. Experience a class or professor for yourself before making any judgement calls.
Last but not least, have fun. You are in college. Have fun, but not too much fun. Experience the area you are in. Live in the moment and be active in the campus life. I'm sure I learned a lot of other things in my first year, but those are the important ones.
