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The Freshman Experience: College Is Not Summer Camp
September 5, 2008 Posted in Back to School, Reality
The first week of college is summer camp. The second is back to reality. When I arrived on campus a little over a week ago, I never imagined going from name-games to essays in a blink.
My college has a week of orientation, so it never really felt like school until I walked into Geology on Tuesday morning. Before that, I had been watching movies with other freshmen, exploring—well, really getting lost in—the campus, and trying every imaginable ice cream combination at the dining halls.
From the moment I walked into my class, I realized I can’t just watch movies and eat ice cream for the next four years. Buying textbooks before the class was its own problem—really, if a book is used, shouldn’t it be dirt cheap, not just a fraction less expensive than the new version?—but being in a room filled with strangers, most not naïve first years like me, was unnerving.
In high school, the first day was one of my favorites. Sure, I hated knowing I had a year of work ahead of me, but I loved seeing old friends, catching up on summer gossip. Here, I sat down and immediately started taking notes. What part of this lecture was important enough to write down? Who was the person sitting next to me? Was I allowed to raise my hand to ask a question?
And then came the dreaded syllabus, something I’ve never used before. So now I have four separate syllabuses from my classes, all confirming that I will be piled down with reading and papers for the next few months. Not only is it overwhelming, but it’s making me feel hopeless to even consider joining clubs or having a semblance of a social life in college while keeping up with work. Sure, I worked hard for the last four years. But that was nothing.
What really scares me is I just don’t know what to expect. One professor told me to call him by his first name, but I’ve heard that another thinks “Hi Professor _____” in an email is too informal. Upperclassmen have told me that some professors expect students to drop by during office hours, while others think it’s a nuisance. How am I supposed to gauge what is expected from me?
From new subject matter to new academic expectations to new professors, I am overwhelmed. When I look at my cluttered dorm room and list of homework in my agenda, I still can’t believe I’ve been here for less than two weeks. And I can’t help but partly wish I were back at camp, not college.
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CW says:
Fri, 5th Sep 20086:59 am
Syllabi. You have four separate syllabi.
BJ says:
Fri, 5th Sep 20088:08 am
"Upperclassmen have told me that some professors expect students to drop by during office hours, while others think it’s a nuisance."
Piece of advice – this is what office hours are *for*. They exist for the sole reason to allow students to ask professors for clarification, help, etc.
Any professor who acts like you aren't supposed to stop by during office hours needs to be hit between the eyes with something large and heavy because they aren't doing their job.
SS says:
Fri, 5th Sep 200811:59 am
I felt the same way when I started college. As a senior, I can say that it does become easier to manage your time and get work done. One tip that really helps me is to take a big, monthly calendar and write what assignments are due on each date. That way, you can see the entire picture as opposed to a planner where you just see each day. I actually think detailed syllabi are better because they outline percentages for your grade, so you know just how much certain papers are worth. This can come in handy if there is a grade discrepancy.
In terms of writing notes, listen to the prof’s voice and see if he stresses certain words or pauses, which usually indicates that you better write that shiz down. Try to develop a shorthand that you can understand so that you won’t have to write out full words. E-mails used to freak me out too. Now I just write “Dear Mr. or Ms. __” and see how they respond back to you. If they say “Hello” or sign off only with their first name, then you can be more casual with them. It helps to start off more formal just in case and take it from there.
Lastly don’t be afraid of upperclassmen, I had a lot of classes with them too when I was a frosh. I think that most people don’t care about age and won’t judge you because they’ve been there too. It helps to make older friends because they know the ins and outs–they can tell you what prof/classes are great and invite you to parties and events.
Hope this helps!
tim says:
Sat, 6th Sep 20083:36 pm
They won't fail you for not stopping by on office hours. they know you are busy…. they expect you are.
Its only a few months at a time.
Erin says:
Wed, 10th Sep 200810:36 am
@CW: actually, syllabuses is fine.
Melanni says:
Sun, 14th Sep 20086:31 am
I found that using a little voice recorder during lectures really helped me (Of course, you should ask if it is ok to record your teacher before you do it). If there’s a really important/confusing topic in the lecture, I write down the time in my notes at which the topic appeared. Later, I can listen to that topic again to help clarify any points that I missed.