This first semester helped me understand how I learn. I did not realize how much I needed to study. I even took a summer precalculus course to transition into the workload of college, and I have studied for AP and IB exams but I was unprepared for how often exams would be in university classes. I also determined that my best study strategy necessarily includes practice problems. I tried studying by rereading the textbook and scanning over and rewriting my notes but that just does not work for me. I did not realize that professors would be so flexible and understanding of the transition to college. All through high school, teachers would say that college professors would be unsympathetic and strict, but that has not been my experience so far. I also expected that I would have more opportunities to ask questions during class but professors don't ever ask for questions. Students have to interrupt the flow of the lecture to ask questions. I also expected to attend all office hours because that is what I was always told would give me the edge and help the professors get to know me, but all office hours are during my other classes, which is a real disappointment. I was unprepared for the distinction between lectures and discussions. I didn't realize that lectures were 100% the professor talking at us and that students were only expected to actively engage in the discussions. I thought there would be graded assignments during lecture but those are only homeworks and discussion activities.
Keeping track of assignments, even if they're not very well managed is crucial. A majority of my anxiety over this semester has been a general sense of responsibility and quotebeing behindquote that could have been remedied with a simple to-do list. Then I would have been more able to relax during my downtime without feeling irresponsible.
I was very surprised by the HTML assignments. I did not expect it to be such a large part of the class but I am glad that I have developed even basic skills. I expected my Science and Global Change class to be more technology-centered, but it went much further into depth into the basics of quotewhat is science?quote and critical thinking which I feel I have been taught many times. I expected the science aspect to be more about a scientific design approach to combating climate change. I didn't realize that the science aspect would be more along the lines of geology and paleontology and documenting habitat destruction and climate change and their causes and impacts.
I knew that the transition would be difficult socially because I knew that it would take a while to become close with new friends. I expected that I may have to break up with my girlfriend and only see my family during breaks but after becoming familiar with the metro train and bus system, it turned out that I can come home nearly every weekend so my relationships have been able to thrive. Being able to go home every now and then gives me the chance to destress and focus on self-care. Being away from the college atmosphere also allows me to regain perspective that classes are not the be all end all.
I have had to discipline myself much more than I ever had to in high school. Having an hour between most of my classes was nice because I could have a flexible eating schedule but it also meant that the time between my earliest and latest classes each day was much greater. This led me to do my homework later and not have time for extracurricular activities. Not being forced to wake up at 6:25 every day as I did in high school is great, but having a schedule that varies by the day is difficult.
I expected to be much more involved in extracurricular activities. I expected to have to restrain myself from participating in every club. It turned out that even during my more social times in the first third of the semester, I had not engaged in many structured social or academic activities outside of my classes.
I didn't realize that living in a dorm would be so exhausting. Having minimal privacy, sleeping in a small bed, and using communal showers and bathrooms are all draining because they leave no space for decompression. Needing to go to a large dining hall of thousands of people any time I want to eat a meal is uncomfortable but it has also allowed me to be more connected. I have encountered many friendly acquaintances and solidified many friendships. It is great because I can just go to the dining hall and expect to see someone I know instead of having to plan social activities to see people. The dining hall is the part of college most comparable to high school, because most of my classes are structured focus time only with people in my department, but every student has to eat so the dining hall feels like walking through the high school hallways.
I would advise new SGC students to try their best to take their time. Social and emotional adjustment can be much more extensive and even time-consuming than they might expect so they should plan to allow for extra time in their schedule. I would also advise new students to make time for chores and laundry because that takes more time than I expected. I would also suggest a lot of patience with new relationships because a lot of my friends have struggled with establishing meaningful relationships beyond surface-level acquaintances and it takes time.
Overall, my first semester experience has been very stressful and hard to manage but has been a huge learning experience and I believe that I can manage myself and my stressors better next semester.