I always knew that I was going to go to college. I was raised in a household that placed a great emphasis on the importance of academics. In high school I even looked forward to going away for school. In the last three months, I have finally learned what it is like to be a college student rather than just dream about it.

Of course, a large part of college is the classes that I have taken. I discovered that college offered more resources for studying on your own than high school did. While a good academic performance in high school required attending class and listening to the teacher, college has shown me that all that matters is knowing and applying the information. I was surprised by how many people chose to not attend class, although I still did because it helped to keep me accountable and got me out of bed in the mornings. However, there are many classmates I know who did not go to class, and rather learned the information for the exams from the online materials provided by the instructor. None of my professors recorded their lectures, but they provided notes and videos to help us learn the information. While I know some people only used this information to prepare for exams, I chose to take notes in class and then utilize the online materials later to solidify my knowledge of the subject, and to review a topic before a final exam. However, it was a shock to me how many people would skip all of the lectures for Calculus III, after attending a high school in which an absence from a class would result in having to play catch-up and usually result in not knowing the missed topic as well as peers who had been present for the lesson.

For the most part, my classes have required a lot less work than I expected them to. I only had three homework assignments for my math class, and one set of problems for my physics class a week. I would also have weekly questions for my biology and physics. Compared to the workload I was accustomed to after a rigorous high school schedule of entirely AP classes, college homework was much lighter. This was a surprise to me, as I expected to have to spend more time doing homework and completing assignments outside of class.

Of course, one of my classes this semester was CPSG100. Compared to the rest of my classes, I enjoyed my Tuesdays from 3:30-4:50 to take a break from the intense STEM nature of the rest of my classes and listen to two professors who are clearly so passionate about what they teach. I also particularly enjoyed the readings that we completed outside of class. I did not expect to read books that analyzed and discussed the way that our brains trick us and are tricked, but I found it fascinating, and even referenced the concepts and the books in another paper for one of my physics classes. I now find myself thinking of it constantly, whether I be creating a research paper or the news, and reflecting on If I am thinking logically, being tricked by my brain, or letting my brain be manipulated by the information I am consuming. I have enjoyed the new perspectives that the readings from this class have given me.

In the same scholars class, I expected to learn more about what is being done and what ca can be done to actually work against the negative environmental things that are happening right now. I expected there to more of an emphasis on volunteer work or projects. I did, however, enjoy the excursions. I went on two to Washington DC. The first was the mandatory one, where we were put into groups and sent off to explore various museums throughout the city. I got along well with the two people in my group, and one of them has become one of my friends outside of the program. After meeting on the excursion, we found out we were in the same math section and also shared similar religious beliefs, so we will complete our occasional homework together and also go to church on Sundays. I am thankful for the excursion for this friendship, but also because the trip itself was fun. It gave me confidence in my ability to take the metro, as someone who had never taken it on her own before. I also got to explore coffee shops, museums, and restaurants and take a break from the normal campus setting I would come to be accustomed to. I had not expected to enjoy the excursions as much as I did. I went into the first with a mindset that worried about how awkward having to spend a day with strangers would be. The second one I went to alone, and I was worried I would be bored and lonely. I ended up enjoying the museum on my own, and then taking the rest of the day to walk around Washington DC on my own, and I loved it.

As exemplified by my being wrong about not enjoying the excursions, I think it is important that incoming students maintain a patient and open mind. On top of think, I think it is vital to make new friends. The high school that I attended was very cliquey, so I came into college used to what almost was the safety of my clique. My group of girls was thirteen, and I was close with all of them. I was used to having multiple good friends in each class, girls who would go to the bathroom during lunch with me, and people to complete projects and to study with. Going to a big school, out of state, and not knowing anyone was daunting and I was extremely homesick for the first few weeks. I missed my friends, family and the security of everything I had at home. I would get physically sick in the mornings from anxiety, and I hated eating in the dining hall or going to the gym because it meant being in public alone. Eventually, I began spending time with people from my classes, and they began doing things like eating and working out with me. I also explored other floors of my building, as my floor did not have a lounge, and through a lounge on another floor of Cumberland, I made another set of friends. I was not alone anymore, and I quickly began to love college. I am glad I was patient and worked through the loneliness and anxiety that I felt when I first arrived here. I have made my best college memories with the people that I have befriended here. I now can enjoy the alone time that I get on campus, or when I go to Washington DC by myself, such as for my solo museum excursion. I think that college is what the student makes of it, so it is important for incoming students to meet as many people as they can, and be patient while settling into the flow of their new life.