During my visit to my old high school I was repeatedly asked for “good college advice” from soon to be college freshmen, fearful and excited of what college is REALLY going to be like as graduation is just around the corner.
A common question was, “you know… how did you deal with the big change?”
You mean having to wear flip flops in the shower and having almost no privacy thing? Or not having to wake up at 5:45 in the morning and having six hours of class every day?
“No, no… I mean academically. How is it to go from being a big fish in a small pond to a little fish in a big pond? Are the classes really hard and is everyone competing for the handful of A’s? What are the people in your classes like?"
There is plenty to be nervous about when entering college, especially if you are going far from home or had succumbed to senioritis and took an easy workload your last year of high school. Fortunately, between the small class sizes and collaborative work environment that my college fosters, I found the transition from high school to college classrooms to be a smooth one. Academic rigor and homework is a different story- make sure you go to those office hours! What I have found from my freshman year is that everyone has different goals for what they want to learn from the class, what an acceptable grade is, and how hard they are willing to work for it. Differences in prior knowledge and interest in the subject matter also lead to a spectrum of student attitudes and behavior. I have compiled a list of some of the most common types of student you will meet your first semester.
1. The Ghost
This person may be the hardest to spot, or you may never see them at all! The ghost is that name on the class roster that you cannot exactly put a face to… although you may have caught a glimpse walking out of your last exam. Or was that just an aberration?
The ghosts have many forms. They may sit in the back corner, quiet as a mouse, or never quite show up to class at all. Eight am classes tend to produce them in vast quantities.
2. A-List Wannabe
Front row and hand raised, these energetic students are committed to getting that A from syllabus day to the final exam. They are often project leaders and well respected by peers (wait- the “nerdy” kid is popular, that is new). Often seen at office hours, these ideal students for some reason seem to get a lot of good research opportunities and leadership positions on campus.
3. Mr./Ms. Best Friend
This student is just really, really… nice and fun to chat with, wow! Although everyone sees something different in their friend(s), this person is usually outgoing and the first to organize late-night snack & study sessions for that quiz tomorrow. They will also help you out with that homework that is due in three hours and you have no idea how to do it. You may end up becoming long-time friends with this cool study partner type, especially if you are both in the same major and continue to have classes together.
4. The Moocher
“Hey, can I borrow a pen? I forgot my textbook, can I share with you? How about last night’s homework?” Unorganized and nonchalant, this type will bring you back to the good old days in middle school where there was that one kid that never seemed to remember anything… and did not mind taking yours and “forgetting” to give it back.
Helping each other out in college is not only polite but a must to survive in college. That being said, make sure the help is a two-way street. Also, take notice that cheating and plagiarism are HUGE no-no’s in college. Although professors know that their students study and do work together outside of class, make sure you do not break any academic rules in the process.
5. The Curve Breaker
The last test came back… and the class average is a 62. “Wait what? No curve Professor?” It turns out that someone got a perfect score. To the professor it looks like the test was not that hard and the rest of the class is just slacking… Need I say any more?
6. Uninterested Upperclassmen
If you go to a liberal arts college like I do, you will often see a range of graduation years sitting next to you, even in your introductory-level classes. Whether they are in the class because they failed it the first time and need it to graduate or they are short an elective credit, this individual just looks really sad to be sitting in a class full of freshmen while their friends are probably sipping lattes in the library.
But in all seriousness, talk to the upperclassmen in your classes. They can provide you with valuable information on professors, grading trends, social events, and fun clubs to join.
7. The "Lazy" Genius
Straddling the divide between different types, this student does not really seem to do much homework or studying, but pull some of the best grades in the class. They also seem to want you to notice their presence, by sitting right in front of you or by consistently walking into class late. Just so they can decline your offer to form a study group by saying “I do not need to study, I got a perfect score on the last test.”
Although I am exaggerating, it is really easy to become intimidated by or frustrated by these students, especially during freshman year. But relax, often these students have taken the class previously in high school, the credits did not transfer, taking it again to get an easy A, etc. Remember, you may not be the Alpha Nerd anymore (if that is what you are used to) and there is nothing wrong with that.
8. Zzzzz....
“Huh? Wait what?” Although I personally always feel bad for the kid snoozing during class, your classmates and professor might find this poor individual as a source of entertainment.
Sleeping during class is definitely a much smaller offense in college than it was in high school, because hey, you pay to be there. Still, try to get some zzzz’s at night or in between classes if you have trouble keeping your eyes open. College material is very dense and you could end up missing a lot of material even during a ten minute nap.
9. The Disappearing Act
Hey were you sick last week? I noticed you didn’t come to class. “Nah I dropped it yesterday, I was failing it.” Ohhhhh… well this is awkward. Unfortunately, this situation happens a lot, especially during freshman year when majors are not set in stone and most people are still adjusting to the larger workload.
10. The Average Joe/ Joanna
Although I may have made college seem like an adult version of “Recess”, most of your fellow classmates will not be so extreme. Depending on your campus’s academic culture, the average student could be The A-List or even The Ghost. This varies greatly by major and class size as well. Smaller classes often invoke higher attendance rates and more student interaction while lecture hall-style classes make sleeping and skipping classes less of an offense.
The most important thing to learn from your first year college classes is to not compare yourself to those around you. Methods of studying and versions of “class participation” vary wildly. The Curve Breaker of your class could be failing all of their other classes. You will never know, and please do not ask them! Grade sharing was quite common in high school (at least in mine), but it often comes off as very rude or intrusive in the collegiate world, even between friends.
Good luck to my graduating high school friends, and to those in college reading this, I hope you had a good laugh looking back on your freshman year.
