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NFL Edition
Issue 16
First Year in College Advice Elayne Virginia
When everyone tells you the first year of college is an adjustment, they are telling the truth. Even as a high school student who spent summer after summer away from home at various educational programs, it still doesn’t compare to college life. I go to a school nearly twelve hours away from home and I knew no one when I first arrived. While I quickly made friends outside of class, I found out it is much harder to form the study groups everyone recommends to help you pass your classes. It is much different from high school where you might see a person in another one of your classes or at lunch when people typically have a moment to talk. Most of the people I was able to study with I met when they would ask me a question about an assignment in class. Though I always thought it would be awkward, asking random people from your classes “hey, do you want to study for the exam?” tends to work really well. While I found that challenging, I think the most challenging thing is time management. I literally write everything that I have to do down so I don’t forget. Currently, I’m enrolled in 14 credit hours (5 classes), working ten hours a week, and on a team that requires
@ElayneVirginia
at least four hours of practice each week. Then there are all the distracting things people forget to warn you about like the people who will come by your room and distract you from your work, or the numerous unexpected activities that seem too fun to miss. I think the most distinct difference between high school and college is that in college, there is ALWAYS something to do that is fun and does not involve work. Finding balance between the work and fun is very important but tricky because there is a fine line between the two. I believe that college really is about finding a balance between all these different intersections of life. I’m finding that things that worked for me in high school no longer work now that I’m in college. I can’t do work in my bed (I have to be in a study lounge or quiet space) but I can spend less time sleeping and more time studying. For me, “finding balance,” means that I occupy most of my time in order to keep myself focused. While that might not work for everyone, there is at least strategy out there that will work for someone. Though I have not completely mastered this idea of “balance” yet, I have gotten a lot better since I started school. But after all, I’m still adjusting to the college life,
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