I was always told that college would be a difficult change and that I ‘better be ready for the workload and staying up till the early hours of the morning’. I have found that for me personally this has not been all that true. Yes, I do have work, but I have a lot more free time to do the work. I have late classes, so I wake up in the morning and do some homework before I start off the day. I also don’t have any classes on Wednesday, so I do a lot of my homework then too. I do not like to stay up till morning therefore I plan accordingly. I feel as though I am managing my time pretty well to ensure that all my homework gets done and I am able to go to bed at a reasonable hour ie before midnight. On the other hand, I was told that I would have a lot more fun and freedom. This is one idea that I believe is actually true. No one is asking me where I’m going or telling me to do certain things. I am able to out to get food at 11pm if I ever so desire to do so like I did last night. I have also had a ton of fun meeting new people and attending a lot of UNE’s events such as the all class party and the sports games. All in all I do feel as though there are a lot of misconceptions of college and one just has to figure it out for themselves, ignoring others opinions.
Based on what I have heard from some of my older friends and my family back home, college has a bad reputation for being all about partying and having fun. I think society labels college students as either being lazy kids with no responsibilities who will most likely drop out after the first semester, or way over the top with studying. In reality, most college students are very hard working people trying to get a good education. So far, college has been a really good experience for me, and it is a totally different experience than what people back home warned me about. I’ve met a lot of really cool people that care about their schooling, I like my classes so far, and living on campus has been a relatively easy transition. UNE is definitely not a ‘party school’ like some of the other bigger campuses around the country and I really like how everyone here has close relationships with each other. I think it’s really important to have a good balance between “work and play.” As long as students are responsible and get their work done, it’s important to have fun as well and maintain a healthy balance.
I feel that most of what I’ve been told about college was from people in vastly different situations that me, and that’s caused my first few weeks of college to feel odd. To say my schedule is packed it to put it kindly. Participating in both Cross Country and Army ROTC has left me with very little free time to do important things like eat, and rest, and relax. Most day’s start at 4 AM and won’t end until 10:30-11. Obviously it’s not by choice that I follow this schedule, as I personally enjoy time spent doing nothing. I think however, that this type off strip schedule is crucial to most peoples success, as it tends to prevent procrastination and laziness. I hope that in the next few weeks I can fall into routine with this schedule, and that I end up having enough time to balance school, extracurriculars, and free time. I’m looking to be more productive in the time spent doing classwork and homework, in hopes that I will have more time to myself to maintain a healthy balance.
When I first imagined and heard about what college was like I made it seem like something completely different than what I have experienced. I thought professors were very strict, the school work was going to consume me of my free time, and the classes were going to be very long. But from my own experience so far, it has been a lot like school in the past. This statement could easily change in the next couple weeks after classes are really in the swing of things. But for now I can say that statement is true. My high school did a great job of preparing me for college which is why I think transitioning to college has not been so difficult. The workload and class experience have been very similar so far. Another thing that has made the transition to college easier for me than some people is I am commuting. So, living on your own and trying to “survive” by yourself has not really been something that I have had to adapt to. One thing that has been something different is my class times. Having structure in my life is very important to me. So, having that eight to two school time in high school was very beneficial to me. Having classes sometimes in the morning and sometimes later in the afternoon is something I am still adjusting to.
In the past, I had heard that college was a crazy time filled with endless stories of fun, excitement, and partying. So far from what I have seen, college is not like that. College is definitely fun and a new experience but the movies seem to leave out an important detail. The detail they are forgetting is the endless amount of reading and homework and studying that I have to deal with. A method that I use to get through all of the work is to convince myself that everything I do is fascinating even if I find the topic to be boring. One thing Hollywood got right about college is the friendships you make in college. Everybody is pretty close in my dorm. The fun that we all have together gives me motivation to study so I will not have to leave everybody if I flunk out or give up, and go back home to work in construction.
Journal #4
Before coming to college i’ve always thought it was one of the most difficult thing after highschool, Finishing high school it was like you’re finally done but then having to think about going to college and having class all day everyday sounded so much more harder then what we’ve been put through so far in high school. Also people watch these college movies and see all the stressful parts of college like studying and having so much work that your behind on classes and things like that and they show less of the good parts of it like getting to meet and make new friends, participating in activities with, watching there teams play sports and more.
So coming into college I always had that bad image in my head that it wasnt gonna be any fun and that i would get to stuck into school work that I wouldn’t have time to do anything else, but so far I thought wrong it has been a good time getting to see and talk to new people and playing with a new football team. As of right now the class work has been alright and seems like I can handle it, its not like high school having class early in the morning at the same time on the same schedule its more diverse the days aren’t the same everyday and the work isnt due the next day like high school we get time to get stuff done and the school offers a lot of help if needed. So college hasn’t been like what I thought and im glad cause its been better than expected
I thought college was going to be a lot harder than it is. People made it out to be as super difficult, exhausting and really hard. It’s only been two weeks but it hasn’t been horrible. Of course it is hard and tiring, but if you put a lot of work and effort into everything, you will succeed and everything will be easier for you. I learned that I need to study a lot and just get my assignments done right away in the correct environment for me. It is a little difficult having 3 classes one day, and one class the other, so the days where I have 3 is definitely challenging. But the days where I only have one class is a nice break for me, and gives me time to get caught up on work. So far, college has been a positive experience for me.
When first coming into college, I had heard that the classes were not much different than high school. This is pretty accurate and the classes are very much what I expected. I have not been surprised at all with my classes and the workload. I feel like I have had a different experience than most people coming into college. I have heard about many people’s stress and how they miss home. I quite like my experience so far. I have not been stressed at all, and I don’t really miss home. I was honestly expecting classes to be much harder. For example, most classes so far have been just taking notes and completing an assignment outside of class with ample time. In class seems to be less important than what I do outside of class, which is interesting and different to what I was expecting. I also heard that there was always something going on and you will always be outside of your room. I tend to just avoid the parties and get-togethers to just stay in and get a good night’s sleep. Some people might think that’s lame or I’m wasting my time, but I am enjoying it. I am going out to the school events though, just to at least check them out. Overall, college is very chill and pretty much what I expected when I came here.
It is what I expected for college but just the homework is a lot more. There is a lot more activities that the school puts on that I wasn’t expecting. One of my favorites has been bingo. But the thing that I was told by my sister and that is true, is that if you put in the time and effort into your classes then you will do good. The only way not to pass is if you don’t show up or not do your work. Most professors are super understanding which I wasn’t expecting because teachers in my high school were not.
Quote:
“Still, the contrast was not lost on Federer. ‘His story is completely different from mine,’ he told a biographer in 2006. ‘Even as a kid his goal was to break the record for winning the most majors.’’
Comment:
In the hockey world, it is always emphasized that everybody takes their own path to where they want to be, there is never a direct line that everybody takes. This is something that has been engraved in my mind since I first heard it, and it’s interesting to see two of sport’s greatests really embody that. It’s an ideal that’s really important to me because I’ve witnessed it first hand, seeing my friends go off to bigger and better things before me. The quote really held true in the end though, as our end goals were achieved regardless of the path we took.
I think it’s also really interesting that Federer mentions what Tiger’s goals were. Being the greatest of all time was pretty much on his horizon from day one. Roger on the other hand, was embracing his diverse experiences and would’ve been happy with just meeting the former world number one. This quote really stresses the fact that the Roger path, despite many beliefs, can work just as well as the Tiger path.
Question:
Do you think one path is better than the other?
Which path did you find yourself on growing up?
If Roger and Tiger switched paths, do you think they’d still both end up being greats?
College has been very different from what I’ve heard about it, to no surprise though. My friends from home have told me everything they’ve been through at college, and I was particularly interested in their social lives. However, the schools they go to are far different from UNE. Places like Michigan, Wisconsin, and Villanova are much bigger schools all with Greek life and die hard sports fanbases. Most of their party and gameday stories differ greatly from what I’ve experienced here. Sporting games here, as fun as they are, seem like nothing to the stories from my friends. Despite the stands being packed with energy in the air, it will never compare to a football game at the Big House or a basketball game at the Pavilion. Similarly though, my friends were able to find their crowd right away with their fraternity brothers. For me, it was my hockey teammates. Both are bonds that will seemingly last a lifetime. On the positive side, meeting and getting to know people outside of that core group has seemed easier for me because of the smaller student body.
The way I look at it is that these experiences differ for the better. At UNE, I’m lucky enough to call myself a student-athlete, and be a part of a team I get to call family. I get to share with them a point of view being directly a part of gameday, rather than being a spectator. I also get to walk around campus and see familiar faces everyday, a feeling I find very comforting, rather than being overwhelmed with new and tons of people everywhere I go. The small school feeling is one that all my friends from home and I have been a part of, but I’m very happy to have that same tight knit community here. With all that being said, one of the few, but most the important similarity that I’ve noted, is that my friends and I are all happy at the institutions we ended up at.
Before coming to UNE, my impression of college basically came from either movies and tv shows, or from social media. Being the oldest child in my family, I didn’t have any older siblings to ask what college was like. My parents nor my grandparents attended college, and although my mom is taking classes online now, it’s not the same as being in a campus environment, so I couldn’t ask them about their experiences either. Basically, going into college I had no idea what it would really be like, because I knew that movies and tv shows weren’t good representations of real life.
I did think that college classes were going to be way harder in terms of the material we learned about and the amount of homework we would get in comparison to high school. We are only 2ish weeks into the semester so I can’t really be certain yet, but I do think the homework load is larger than what I was used to in high school. So far anyways, the content isn’t that much more difficult, but I assume that will change as I take harder classes that aren’t just introductory.
I had thought it might be easier to make friends in college than it was in high school because we are all new and we are all looking for friends. So far this has not been the case. Many people that I have seen came to this school with their friends from high school or have already found groups of people to hang out with so it is hard to discern who is still looking for friends. I lucked out with my roommates because the 3 of us get along really well, so we pretty much do everything together which is nice.
Overall, college hasn’t been quite what I imagined, but it’s also too early in the semester to really tell, so as the year goes on I hope to have more college-like experiences and I am looking forward to seeing what else is in store.
My idea for college compared to my experience has been different in most aspects from what I expected. A big thing that came as a surprise for me is how easy I am managing most of the work we’ve been receiving for the classes. Compared to highschool, I find it easier to be motivated to do work here and not push it to the last minute. Although the workload is a lot more I’ve been more consistent with doing what needs to be done in a manageable time. Another thing I was worried about was how well I’d take the distance being away from home. For the first couple of days to a week it was a lot to get used to and the whole experience was overwhelming. I’ve noticed some days are harder than others depending on how busy I keep myself. My experience so far has been a learning experience for me. Someparts have been overwhelming and some parts have been exciting. There haven’t been any major negative situations that have led me to dislike the experience, but every situation is something to learn.
Throughout my High School years I was told by friends, family members, and teachers that college was no joke. They said I’d be completely on my own and that the staff, faculty and professors would not care if I took no responsibility for my academic success. As college neared, I was given more comforting words about the experience that was in store for me; that I’d make plenty of friends and I would have the time of my life, etc. Both statements, although a bit exaggerated, hold some truth. I believe that my professors and the staff at UNE genuinely want me to succeed and they are there for me when I need help. This was a big part of the reason why I chose UNE. However, it is solely up to me to complete my work and do the best I can to be successful here. If I choose to do mediocre work/nothing at all and do not seek help, then I am digging my own grave. As for the second statement, I feel a bit more comfortable now that I realize that most of my peers are in the same boat as myself. I am not completely on my own, and I have met tons of new people, some of which I’ve already become good friends with. College is not the same as it’s portrayed in movies and TV shows, it’s better to show up with an open mind and few expectations because you truly never know what an experience will be like until you.. well, experience it.
As someone in my family who is one of the first to go and stay to live at college, I only had some of the advice of my older cousin who went to the Endicott as actual experience from family members. A note to take away is he was on the football team and was one of the most social people I have ever met, so very much the opposite of me. As for my other family members, words of encouragement and what they believed college was like were not as helpful as they were blinded by the typical American view of how college works and also trying to ease my fears of the sudden change in my normal lifestyle. College is typically portrayed as the time of your life when you meet lifelong friends, party all night, and sleep the day through classes. Many people also say when you get to college professors don’t care about you or baby you, and your workload will increase from high school. Now knowing all this I still walked into college with blind expectations, as you don’t know what you will face until you face something head-on. So far college has honestly felt like the start of high school just not with the people whom I have known my whole life, and a lot more freedoms are given. But you still feel the same nerves as you have not faced these experiences before, and you are now the one with no knowledge of how this new system and lifestyle work. So far I can say I have felt certain pressures, as long as aid in some of the benefits college life has brought, I feel as if I am still adjusting and can’t wait to see how all of these expectations play out throughout my years in college.
My view on college life before I actually got here was much different from what I am experiencing, but also similar at the same time. My older sister who is now a senior at UMass Amherst had been more introverted, very good in her classes, had a group of friends she went out with on the weekends, but balanced everything well. From movies and films, I was told college was drinking, partying, sleeping through classes, and having fun. From my family, I was told college is all about balance, prioritizing classes first always. Another big transition was the amount of independence required for surviving here. Some people always had a hand to hold or a head over their shoulders throughout high school, but when you get to college all of that is gone and you must figure out things on your own, which can be good but also hard. In high school, I did not have to push myself to succeed. In college, pushing myself and my academic limits will be the only way I can succeed. Something I kept in mind as I came in on move in day is that everyone is in the same boat, looking for friends, ways to succeed, and learning new things about us which are comforting. I personally have enjoyed this freedom and new transition. It can be difficult at times, but the challenges and failures are how we grow as people. College is what you make it, if you want it to be partying, drinking, and blowing off classes that is what it will be. But if you want it to be pushing yourself to the limits, having a good social life but still succeeding in classes, that is what it will be.
16 thoughts on “JOURNAL # 4”
I was always told that college would be a difficult change and that I ‘better be ready for the workload and staying up till the early hours of the morning’. I have found that for me personally this has not been all that true. Yes, I do have work, but I have a lot more free time to do the work. I have late classes, so I wake up in the morning and do some homework before I start off the day. I also don’t have any classes on Wednesday, so I do a lot of my homework then too. I do not like to stay up till morning therefore I plan accordingly. I feel as though I am managing my time pretty well to ensure that all my homework gets done and I am able to go to bed at a reasonable hour ie before midnight. On the other hand, I was told that I would have a lot more fun and freedom. This is one idea that I believe is actually true. No one is asking me where I’m going or telling me to do certain things. I am able to out to get food at 11pm if I ever so desire to do so like I did last night. I have also had a ton of fun meeting new people and attending a lot of UNE’s events such as the all class party and the sports games. All in all I do feel as though there are a lot of misconceptions of college and one just has to figure it out for themselves, ignoring others opinions.
Based on what I have heard from some of my older friends and my family back home, college has a bad reputation for being all about partying and having fun. I think society labels college students as either being lazy kids with no responsibilities who will most likely drop out after the first semester, or way over the top with studying. In reality, most college students are very hard working people trying to get a good education. So far, college has been a really good experience for me, and it is a totally different experience than what people back home warned me about. I’ve met a lot of really cool people that care about their schooling, I like my classes so far, and living on campus has been a relatively easy transition. UNE is definitely not a ‘party school’ like some of the other bigger campuses around the country and I really like how everyone here has close relationships with each other. I think it’s really important to have a good balance between “work and play.” As long as students are responsible and get their work done, it’s important to have fun as well and maintain a healthy balance.
I feel that most of what I’ve been told about college was from people in vastly different situations that me, and that’s caused my first few weeks of college to feel odd. To say my schedule is packed it to put it kindly. Participating in both Cross Country and Army ROTC has left me with very little free time to do important things like eat, and rest, and relax. Most day’s start at 4 AM and won’t end until 10:30-11. Obviously it’s not by choice that I follow this schedule, as I personally enjoy time spent doing nothing. I think however, that this type off strip schedule is crucial to most peoples success, as it tends to prevent procrastination and laziness. I hope that in the next few weeks I can fall into routine with this schedule, and that I end up having enough time to balance school, extracurriculars, and free time. I’m looking to be more productive in the time spent doing classwork and homework, in hopes that I will have more time to myself to maintain a healthy balance.
When I first imagined and heard about what college was like I made it seem like something completely different than what I have experienced. I thought professors were very strict, the school work was going to consume me of my free time, and the classes were going to be very long. But from my own experience so far, it has been a lot like school in the past. This statement could easily change in the next couple weeks after classes are really in the swing of things. But for now I can say that statement is true. My high school did a great job of preparing me for college which is why I think transitioning to college has not been so difficult. The workload and class experience have been very similar so far. Another thing that has made the transition to college easier for me than some people is I am commuting. So, living on your own and trying to “survive” by yourself has not really been something that I have had to adapt to. One thing that has been something different is my class times. Having structure in my life is very important to me. So, having that eight to two school time in high school was very beneficial to me. Having classes sometimes in the morning and sometimes later in the afternoon is something I am still adjusting to.
In the past, I had heard that college was a crazy time filled with endless stories of fun, excitement, and partying. So far from what I have seen, college is not like that. College is definitely fun and a new experience but the movies seem to leave out an important detail. The detail they are forgetting is the endless amount of reading and homework and studying that I have to deal with. A method that I use to get through all of the work is to convince myself that everything I do is fascinating even if I find the topic to be boring. One thing Hollywood got right about college is the friendships you make in college. Everybody is pretty close in my dorm. The fun that we all have together gives me motivation to study so I will not have to leave everybody if I flunk out or give up, and go back home to work in construction.
Joncarlos
Estrada
9/10/2022
Journal #4
Before coming to college i’ve always thought it was one of the most difficult thing after highschool, Finishing high school it was like you’re finally done but then having to think about going to college and having class all day everyday sounded so much more harder then what we’ve been put through so far in high school. Also people watch these college movies and see all the stressful parts of college like studying and having so much work that your behind on classes and things like that and they show less of the good parts of it like getting to meet and make new friends, participating in activities with, watching there teams play sports and more.
So coming into college I always had that bad image in my head that it wasnt gonna be any fun and that i would get to stuck into school work that I wouldn’t have time to do anything else, but so far I thought wrong it has been a good time getting to see and talk to new people and playing with a new football team. As of right now the class work has been alright and seems like I can handle it, its not like high school having class early in the morning at the same time on the same schedule its more diverse the days aren’t the same everyday and the work isnt due the next day like high school we get time to get stuff done and the school offers a lot of help if needed. So college hasn’t been like what I thought and im glad cause its been better than expected
I thought college was going to be a lot harder than it is. People made it out to be as super difficult, exhausting and really hard. It’s only been two weeks but it hasn’t been horrible. Of course it is hard and tiring, but if you put a lot of work and effort into everything, you will succeed and everything will be easier for you. I learned that I need to study a lot and just get my assignments done right away in the correct environment for me. It is a little difficult having 3 classes one day, and one class the other, so the days where I have 3 is definitely challenging. But the days where I only have one class is a nice break for me, and gives me time to get caught up on work. So far, college has been a positive experience for me.
When first coming into college, I had heard that the classes were not much different than high school. This is pretty accurate and the classes are very much what I expected. I have not been surprised at all with my classes and the workload. I feel like I have had a different experience than most people coming into college. I have heard about many people’s stress and how they miss home. I quite like my experience so far. I have not been stressed at all, and I don’t really miss home. I was honestly expecting classes to be much harder. For example, most classes so far have been just taking notes and completing an assignment outside of class with ample time. In class seems to be less important than what I do outside of class, which is interesting and different to what I was expecting. I also heard that there was always something going on and you will always be outside of your room. I tend to just avoid the parties and get-togethers to just stay in and get a good night’s sleep. Some people might think that’s lame or I’m wasting my time, but I am enjoying it. I am going out to the school events though, just to at least check them out. Overall, college is very chill and pretty much what I expected when I came here.
It is what I expected for college but just the homework is a lot more. There is a lot more activities that the school puts on that I wasn’t expecting. One of my favorites has been bingo. But the thing that I was told by my sister and that is true, is that if you put in the time and effort into your classes then you will do good. The only way not to pass is if you don’t show up or not do your work. Most professors are super understanding which I wasn’t expecting because teachers in my high school were not.
Quote:
“Still, the contrast was not lost on Federer. ‘His story is completely different from mine,’ he told a biographer in 2006. ‘Even as a kid his goal was to break the record for winning the most majors.’’
Comment:
In the hockey world, it is always emphasized that everybody takes their own path to where they want to be, there is never a direct line that everybody takes. This is something that has been engraved in my mind since I first heard it, and it’s interesting to see two of sport’s greatests really embody that. It’s an ideal that’s really important to me because I’ve witnessed it first hand, seeing my friends go off to bigger and better things before me. The quote really held true in the end though, as our end goals were achieved regardless of the path we took.
I think it’s also really interesting that Federer mentions what Tiger’s goals were. Being the greatest of all time was pretty much on his horizon from day one. Roger on the other hand, was embracing his diverse experiences and would’ve been happy with just meeting the former world number one. This quote really stresses the fact that the Roger path, despite many beliefs, can work just as well as the Tiger path.
Question:
Do you think one path is better than the other?
Which path did you find yourself on growing up?
If Roger and Tiger switched paths, do you think they’d still both end up being greats?
College has been very different from what I’ve heard about it, to no surprise though. My friends from home have told me everything they’ve been through at college, and I was particularly interested in their social lives. However, the schools they go to are far different from UNE. Places like Michigan, Wisconsin, and Villanova are much bigger schools all with Greek life and die hard sports fanbases. Most of their party and gameday stories differ greatly from what I’ve experienced here. Sporting games here, as fun as they are, seem like nothing to the stories from my friends. Despite the stands being packed with energy in the air, it will never compare to a football game at the Big House or a basketball game at the Pavilion. Similarly though, my friends were able to find their crowd right away with their fraternity brothers. For me, it was my hockey teammates. Both are bonds that will seemingly last a lifetime. On the positive side, meeting and getting to know people outside of that core group has seemed easier for me because of the smaller student body.
The way I look at it is that these experiences differ for the better. At UNE, I’m lucky enough to call myself a student-athlete, and be a part of a team I get to call family. I get to share with them a point of view being directly a part of gameday, rather than being a spectator. I also get to walk around campus and see familiar faces everyday, a feeling I find very comforting, rather than being overwhelmed with new and tons of people everywhere I go. The small school feeling is one that all my friends from home and I have been a part of, but I’m very happy to have that same tight knit community here. With all that being said, one of the few, but most the important similarity that I’ve noted, is that my friends and I are all happy at the institutions we ended up at.
Before coming to UNE, my impression of college basically came from either movies and tv shows, or from social media. Being the oldest child in my family, I didn’t have any older siblings to ask what college was like. My parents nor my grandparents attended college, and although my mom is taking classes online now, it’s not the same as being in a campus environment, so I couldn’t ask them about their experiences either. Basically, going into college I had no idea what it would really be like, because I knew that movies and tv shows weren’t good representations of real life.
I did think that college classes were going to be way harder in terms of the material we learned about and the amount of homework we would get in comparison to high school. We are only 2ish weeks into the semester so I can’t really be certain yet, but I do think the homework load is larger than what I was used to in high school. So far anyways, the content isn’t that much more difficult, but I assume that will change as I take harder classes that aren’t just introductory.
I had thought it might be easier to make friends in college than it was in high school because we are all new and we are all looking for friends. So far this has not been the case. Many people that I have seen came to this school with their friends from high school or have already found groups of people to hang out with so it is hard to discern who is still looking for friends. I lucked out with my roommates because the 3 of us get along really well, so we pretty much do everything together which is nice.
Overall, college hasn’t been quite what I imagined, but it’s also too early in the semester to really tell, so as the year goes on I hope to have more college-like experiences and I am looking forward to seeing what else is in store.
My idea for college compared to my experience has been different in most aspects from what I expected. A big thing that came as a surprise for me is how easy I am managing most of the work we’ve been receiving for the classes. Compared to highschool, I find it easier to be motivated to do work here and not push it to the last minute. Although the workload is a lot more I’ve been more consistent with doing what needs to be done in a manageable time. Another thing I was worried about was how well I’d take the distance being away from home. For the first couple of days to a week it was a lot to get used to and the whole experience was overwhelming. I’ve noticed some days are harder than others depending on how busy I keep myself. My experience so far has been a learning experience for me. Someparts have been overwhelming and some parts have been exciting. There haven’t been any major negative situations that have led me to dislike the experience, but every situation is something to learn.
Throughout my High School years I was told by friends, family members, and teachers that college was no joke. They said I’d be completely on my own and that the staff, faculty and professors would not care if I took no responsibility for my academic success. As college neared, I was given more comforting words about the experience that was in store for me; that I’d make plenty of friends and I would have the time of my life, etc. Both statements, although a bit exaggerated, hold some truth. I believe that my professors and the staff at UNE genuinely want me to succeed and they are there for me when I need help. This was a big part of the reason why I chose UNE. However, it is solely up to me to complete my work and do the best I can to be successful here. If I choose to do mediocre work/nothing at all and do not seek help, then I am digging my own grave. As for the second statement, I feel a bit more comfortable now that I realize that most of my peers are in the same boat as myself. I am not completely on my own, and I have met tons of new people, some of which I’ve already become good friends with. College is not the same as it’s portrayed in movies and TV shows, it’s better to show up with an open mind and few expectations because you truly never know what an experience will be like until you.. well, experience it.
As someone in my family who is one of the first to go and stay to live at college, I only had some of the advice of my older cousin who went to the Endicott as actual experience from family members. A note to take away is he was on the football team and was one of the most social people I have ever met, so very much the opposite of me. As for my other family members, words of encouragement and what they believed college was like were not as helpful as they were blinded by the typical American view of how college works and also trying to ease my fears of the sudden change in my normal lifestyle. College is typically portrayed as the time of your life when you meet lifelong friends, party all night, and sleep the day through classes. Many people also say when you get to college professors don’t care about you or baby you, and your workload will increase from high school. Now knowing all this I still walked into college with blind expectations, as you don’t know what you will face until you face something head-on. So far college has honestly felt like the start of high school just not with the people whom I have known my whole life, and a lot more freedoms are given. But you still feel the same nerves as you have not faced these experiences before, and you are now the one with no knowledge of how this new system and lifestyle work. So far I can say I have felt certain pressures, as long as aid in some of the benefits college life has brought, I feel as if I am still adjusting and can’t wait to see how all of these expectations play out throughout my years in college.
My view on college life before I actually got here was much different from what I am experiencing, but also similar at the same time. My older sister who is now a senior at UMass Amherst had been more introverted, very good in her classes, had a group of friends she went out with on the weekends, but balanced everything well. From movies and films, I was told college was drinking, partying, sleeping through classes, and having fun. From my family, I was told college is all about balance, prioritizing classes first always. Another big transition was the amount of independence required for surviving here. Some people always had a hand to hold or a head over their shoulders throughout high school, but when you get to college all of that is gone and you must figure out things on your own, which can be good but also hard. In high school, I did not have to push myself to succeed. In college, pushing myself and my academic limits will be the only way I can succeed. Something I kept in mind as I came in on move in day is that everyone is in the same boat, looking for friends, ways to succeed, and learning new things about us which are comforting. I personally have enjoyed this freedom and new transition. It can be difficult at times, but the challenges and failures are how we grow as people. College is what you make it, if you want it to be partying, drinking, and blowing off classes that is what it will be. But if you want it to be pushing yourself to the limits, having a good social life but still succeeding in classes, that is what it will be.