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colllllege
so friday i'm moving and monday is first day of college! i'm excited but soo nervous. i'm completely lost as to what it'll be like, i'm hearing all the horror stories of how hard it is and i'm freaking out. i graduated high school with honors, but i'm a big time slacker & procrastinator, so i know i have to stop that. can anyone give me some advice about college? i'm getting my laptop hopefully in the next few days... do i need to take it to my classes with me for use in there, or is that mostly gonna be used for homework & papers & such? will i need it every day? they said at orientation that for every hour of class we have per week, we'll need 1-2 hours of OUTSIDE study time. is that really true? i have 17 hours of classes... so i'll be studying 34 hours a week!? also are we supposed to have books our first day? i havent heard ANYTHING about the books we need, so do we have to actually go to class to find out first or are we supposed to know ahead of time? and the campus is huge, how am i supposed to find my way around to the different rooms? it's not like highschool where they give you a map and point you in the right direction, i'm gonna be totally on my own!
ahh im just so lost. i dont want be behind right off the bat. any tips for my first year?
im majoring in biology if it helps.
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i know exactly how you felt! but luckily for me, my brother went to the same school and could help me out and show me what building the classes were in.
anywayssss! you are incredibly OVER estimating everything, i understand college is very scary because it's so different than what you're use to. i remember i couldn't sleep the night before classes started because i was so worried i wouldn't know where i was going, or that i wouldn't know anyone in the class which would make it even more awkward but it was so different.
most people don't use their laptops during class, i think i only had one kid in ONE of my classes who had his laptop to take notes on, but other than that its all pen and paper (: and i think it would be best to use pen rather than pencil because you do take ALOT of notes, and by using pencil your hand will start to hurt sooner than when using a pen.
studying; ohhhhh studying! it's what college is all about. for me, i didn't have much homework which was nice BUT we would take notes for like three weeks and then have a test on all the stuff we took notes on so you have to remember everything. and most of your classes i'm guessing will be based on your quizzes and tests, and well some papers you write. so don't put studying off until the last second, because you will get even more stressed. i understand where you're coming from though, because i was a straight A student in high school so there was pressure for me to do good in college, and i did, well my first year! it's going to be my second yr this year, but it's all about the studying. make sure you're paying attention and asking questions is you don't understand something.
and don't worry, you'll make friends! everyone in you're class will feel the same as you. they want to meet new people too and make friends. in every one of my classes people started just talking to me, or i would talk to them and then we became close. it's not like high school, people are different. they're so open and NICE.
as for finding your way around, maybe when you move in and get everything settled you should just look around campus, and try to find out where your classes are. on the first day of classes, go early so you aren't stressed about whether or not you're going to make it in time and don't be afriad to ask someone where anything is!
if i missed anything, make sure you come back and ask :) don't be nervous, it's so different than what you're expecting.
good luck! ♥ LU
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You are understandably stressed out about starting college- it's a big transition in your life. But trust me, once you start classes and get into the routine of things, you will be a college student, and not a high school graduate who's freaking out over starting something new.
To answer your questions:
. Laptop: you may or may not choose to take it to class. There might be a few students who do (to take notes or goof off), but most people just take notes on paper. What you do is entirely up to you. You will definitely use it for writing papers, homework, etc, but probably not for taking notes in class, unless you feel more comfortable typing- your call.
. Study Time: They will estimate about 1-2 hours of study time for every hours of class, but it's only an estimate. You will have to study a lot more than in high school, but every class/professor is different. I always had one or two relatively easy classes, and a couple of difficult classes that I had to study the most for. You have to manage your study time according to which classes have the most material and/or are the most difficult. You will probably slack off a bit, but try not to do that too much. Keep on top of everything throughout the semester and you should be fine. I highly recommend attending a lecture/workshop on time management and study skills. All universities offer them- you can ask the office or an adviser for details.
.Books: you will not need books the first day of class, but usually by the second or third lecture, depending. I HIGHLY recommend buying used books online for cheaper than the school bookstore. If you need a book right away, get it used at the bookstore, rather than new- much cheaper. I saved a lot of money searching online. You can look online to see which books you will need, and buy them ahead of time. When i was in college, I went to the first class, got the class syllabus (lists which book will be needed), and ordered books online the first week.
.Finding your way around: Don't be afraid to ask. It might take you a couple weeks to get adjusted- you can print out a campus map online, or ask the office for one. When in doubt, ask. People will be helpful, trust me.
As for any additional tips: have fun, but be safe. Do not get caught up with binge drinking, sleeping around, etc., although unfortunately these things make up "college life" in the US, they are totally meaningless activities.
Instead, try to get involved in different clubs/organizations, go out and explore what the surrounding city/town has to offer, make good friends, etc.. also, try not to get too behind on studying, it does add up! Mainly, relax and enjoy your college years!
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