It has been almost a year since I have graduated high
school, and now as a first time freshman I am about the complete my first year
of college. I have to say that getting situated in the college life had some
getting used to. It’s not at all like it was in high school, and since I
decided to move out of my house and dorm here; I was really reaching out of my
comfort zone. However, my experience here was great. Though I have gone through
a lot of bumps here and there, I’ve learned a lot about the college life. So
for the entire incoming freshman planning on attending college, I would like to
share a couple of “college truths”.
The first truth about college is that you will meet a lot of
different kinds of people here. Unlike high school, there are thousands of
students in college and all of them come different areas around the country.
Some students even come from other countries around the world, so you’ll
definitely run in to a lot of people. The first thing I noticed when I first
stepped foot in CSUN was that the college was so diverse. I also met a lot of
people I got along with. However, I have also come across people who I was not
entirely fond of.
The second truth about college is you actually have to
study. In High School, it doesn’t really take a lot of effort to pass a class.
At times I remember when people in high school would raise their grades by
merely completing the homework despite doing poorly on tests. In college,
however, how much work and time you put in a class would reflect in your final grade.
The majority of classes in college don’t give out any “easy points”, and you
are graded based on how well you do on the exams. I remember I had an economics
class my first semester, and the only thing we had to do for that class was two
midterm exams and a final. Because, of this I knew I had to spent a lot of my
time studying because the whole class was graded depending on how well you do
on those exams. There were no homework nor were there any projects that could
have helped me raise my grade.
The third truth about college is that you will feel a lot
more independent. A lot of people in college, such as myself, moved out of
their houses and dormed here in college. Dorming in college has allowed me to
feel more independent because I was away from home. Though it took some getting
used to, I had to start doing a lot of things on my own, such as cooking my own
meals, driving to places, doing my laundry and so many other things. Besides
dorming, even the academics will make you feel more independent. Unlike high
school, teachers in college are not going to be behind your back, making sure
you are doing your work. Your work will be your responsibility and your teacher
will not be there reminding you of your responsibilities.
These are three truths about college. So basically the whole
truth about college is that it is a lot different than high school. It is a
warm up of the real world that waits after you graduate. My first year was spent experiencing a lot of
things. In the beginning of the year I felt nervous, but now as the school year
is coming to a close I feel like a new person.
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