It is with such a bittersweet feeling that I won’t be going to college this fall, (cause your girl graduated!) But don’t worry, I’ll be in grad school next year! But I can remember my first day of freshman year like it was yesterday and I still can’t believe I am a college grad. Nonetheless, here are some pearls of wisdom from an old hag (haha)
1 .The transition from All girls HS to college was interesting
I spent my 4 years in High school in an all girls catholic school. Although I did attend a Catholic college, it was still different. Instead of mandatory mass during the week, it was just a friendly reminder. Instead of being taught by Sisters, I had Brothers as professors. There are guys in my classroom as my classmates and not here for just after-school activities. And there were no uniforms. I have to think about what to wear now? ughhh. Although guys in my classroom weren’t much of a distraction (except for the occasional cute guy here and there), the environment and vibe was different from high school. But it’s a different world in college altogether.
2. Advisers makes mistakes, communication is key!
I will start off by saying the 3 advisers I had were beyond awesome, but the first one messed up. In my school, they make the schedule for the incoming freshman for the Fall semester (but you pick out your spring one). I’m not sure how I was filed under the ‘bio major’ category, but they placed me in a math class designed for bio majors. Imagine my surprise halfway through the semester getting ready for the Spring that my adviser asked me why I was in this math class if I wanted to be in the Speech department. Granted I didn’t declare yet, but it was already too late to drop it, and I was pretty upset since I don’t like math….and it was an 8:00am class.
I took care of my courses from that point forward and did pretty well with my speech adviser. Balancing cores, major and minor courses was pretty good after that incident. But you have to tell your adviser what you want and what you’re going for. Hopefully your college is diverse enough for the things you want.
3. 8ams are for the very strong (and I’m not so strong)
Again, Fall semester was not my lucky semester. My schedule was made that every single day I had an 8:00am class. It was pretty annoying because it is nothing like an 8:00am in HS. Getting ready in the early morning (trying not to wake up my roommate when I dormed) and find the willpower to even go to class was a struggle. Granted, by 12, I was done for the day, but it wasn’t worth it. There is a huge difference between an 8am and a 9am class.There are some times where you can avoid an 8:00am and sometimes where you can’t. My best advice is to find someone willing to suffer along with you. When I began commuting, a friend that lived in the neighborhood offered to drive me and we would make sure we had coffee at hand. It’s something I don’t miss about college. Not one bit.
4. Making friends is pretty easy (but keeping them is harder)
In the weeks that I was going to move into college, I thought no one from my high school was coming with me. I had a friend from home that was, but we weren’t going to see too much of each other because of the different majors we were taking. So at orientation, I made it a mission to get out of my comfort zone and make new friends. It was actually not too bad. 2 of them are now my greatest friends, and one because my roommate by the grace of God. When you’re a freshman, it’s easy to make friends because everyone is friendly. You don’t know anyone and they are going to put their best face out there. So freshman year, like high school, is like a honeymoon phase in your academic career. If you’re standing next to them at graduation (or if they’re cheering from the stands), then you’ve got some good ones.
5. Peer pressure is real, but not that bad
College is by far a new world for all of us. We’re all from different hometowns and cultures and we all don’t do the same things. I personally, didn’t like going out on my college campus (or surrounding areas) because that party scene wasn’t my style. I didn’t like house/EDM music that much and there wasn’t much Spanish parties around. So I stayed in. I also made a promise to myself to not drink until I was 21 (for personal reasons.) Many understood and didn’t badger me about it. Some thought I was old fashioned, but that was okay. I still went out, but I made sure the girls got home okay. Peer pressure is only as bad as you allow it to affect you. If you’re feeling too pressured by the people around you, then maybe it’s time to get new friends.
6. Roommate drama is real
I’m so grateful to say that in the two years that I’ve dormed, my two roommates have been nothing but wonderful. But there was drama even next door to us. Communication is soooo key, especially when you have to live with this person for a whole year. Some people can eventually get along, but some are beyond repair and alternate measures have to be taken. Sometimes you have to live somewhere else or leave the school altogether. But try your best to maintain understanding, you’re both in school and have your own stories, careers and cultures.
If you’re commuting, which I did the last two years, make as much commuter and dormer friends as possible. It’s great to have someone to ride home with and also someone to spend the night at their dorm if it’s getting too late to go home. Don’t just go to class and leave. If you can, stay a while and spend lunch and some free time with other people. Get involved and enjoy the campus
7. Organization is key
Please. Organize yourself. Too many times I’ve seen or done this. Missing papers and assignments because I didn’t organize myself well enough. And my anxiety would go through the roof. Depending on your professor, they can be understanding or have no pity for you at all. Many are assuming that at this point, you should be responsible enough to handle your assignments in an orderly fashion. And they should hold you to those standards, and so should you. Everyone has their own way of organizing things but make sure it’s effective. Invest in a good planner and write everything down. Do things early and get them out of the way.
8. Adult conversations are a must
One of my favorite memories of freshman year is the conversation that I had with 2 new friends that turned into a political debate. We didn’t go at each other’s throats, but expressed our views in a calm and understanding manner. It was refreshing to know that I could have such conversations and not just about which celeb is pregnant and unneeded gossip. You’ll hear more about elections, political views and laws, local and worldwide news and your views will be both asked and tested. Even though I went to a Catholic school, not all of my peers were Catholic. It’s important to recognize opposing views, as well as respectfully disagreeing and replying to opposing views. Take a look at the news, research and be informed.
9. You’re on a different path that won’t be smooth.
What you get out of college is what you put in. We can only blame professors and financial aid so much but there are some things we need to take the L for ourselves. Could I have studied better? Should I have dropped that class when I had the chance? Did I seek help from multiple sources? You will be disappointed in yourself a few times (especially if you’re a perfectionist) but it’s just another opportunity to learn and do better next time. You won’t always get a 4.0. Some classes are tougher than others. Some people have a better grasp of a subject than you, and that’s okay. Please don’t compare yourself and your success to others. Your path is different and so is everyone else’s. So worry about yourself and your path. It’s unique to you.
10. Enjoying the simple things
With all the assignments, projects and deadlines that you’ll have to pull your hair out for, always take the time out to enjoy the small things in life; the down time you will have with your friends, the activities that your campus offers, the view, movie nights, etc. Always remember to have fun and take care of yourself and remember that you’re doing the best you can.
Don’t count the days until graduation, make the days until graduation count!
Caribbean City Type 