Though I still technically haven't even finished my first semester at college, I have still learned several lessons throughout my time here, and I hope to learn many more while I still can.
The first lesson: I have nothing to complain about. My parents had to struggle through high school amid no support and having to work full time jobs, and they both excelled. All of the odds were against them, yet they still managed to perform extremely well. And here I am, given everything, and I am struggling to perform even half as well as they were.
The second lesson: Living at school is overrated. When I was first moving to college, I felt like you absolutely had to live at school to get the full college experience. In my opinion, the entire college experience is overrated. Yes, it’s good to make new friends and have fun new experiences, but at the end of the day, I am paying an absolutely ludicrous amount to get an education, so that should be my top priority.
The third lesson: Success in college takes a lot of work. It really, really does. It involves actually studying and a lot of attention to each and every assignment. It requires some late study nights. And it forces you to care. I have always been one to care about my grades, but in college it becomes even more important. You really need to care in order to devote your time to studying and working hard.
The fourth lesson: You need to be proactive. If you need clarification on something, ask your professor for help. Invest in the resources given to you. Ask questions in class. If teachers have office hours, go to them. All of this requires more effort on your part, but it will work to benefit you.
The fifth lesson: Be organized. This is one I didn’t particularly have troubles with, as I have always been an organized person. Always knowing when your tests are and when your assignments are due is a must in college, especially when it comes to planning studying and homework times.
The sixth lesson: You can’t procrastinate. I have had some struggles with this one. I am a natural procrastinator, and I have found it difficult to maintain the motivation required to do all my work in a reasonable time. But letting work pile up in college is a really big mistake. It will make it so much harder for you when you have to do that big assignment in one night and you have a question on the directions. You really don’t want to risk anything when it comes to grades in college, as sometimes random worksheets will count for 10% of your grade and you want to do well, of course.
Overall, college is a time for learning and for doing well in school in order to get a good job in the future. It can be hard, in fact, it is hard, but it will be so worth it in the end.
