Course Surprises:
Overall, when I started taking college courses, I was immediately surprised by the difference in teaching. In highschool, although I would take more classes a day, there would be time to do teacher-led practice in the classroom and time to digest concepts in class. However, I feel like college courses are really just there to provide the basic information on topics. Something I quickly learned from this is that your understanding in your classes is based on how much you prepare. As a high school student, just going to class and doing homework would be enough review for me to fully understand. As a college student, I have to review topics after being introduced to them and do numerous practice problems before I can understand most concepts. This has been especially true for me in my more challenging math and science classes such as chem and differential equations. I think the best strategy to make sure you stay on top of your classes is to review the chapters you go over in class on your own. Oftentimes, the notes from class will be rushed and you won’t have time to think about what you are writing down, so it is good to look back and dissect what you were learning.
Mentoring/Faculty Relationships:
Having a relationship with faculty is definitely something I struggle with as someone who isn’t always comfortable talking to new people. However, applying to scholarships and internships has made me realize that it is something that is important to actually pursue. I don’t think I’ve been able to connect with any faculty as personally as I would like to, so it is something that I would like to work on for next year, especially as I take smaller sized classes consisting of only my major. Even though I wouldn’t be speaking from experience, I do think that going to office hours is a good way to get to know your teachers and be able to connect with them. Although I haven’t had much experience with faculty relationships, a good way to still get a mentoring relationship is to sign up for mentors in different clubs or in your major. Because I am a civil engineering student, I was able to sign up to be a mentee to an upperclassman also in the civil department. I think it is a really good way to have someone you can always talk to about your classes or even worries about your major. This is something you can easily sign up for by searching it up, emailing your advisor, or just carefully reading through your emails.
Adjusting to University:
As I said before, adjusting to the workload is definitely challenging. However, I think it is definitely bearable by finding people and groups you can relax with. There are lots of clubs on campus that anyone can join, and it allows you to find people you can really connect with. I have joined a lot of cultural clubs, such as the Filipino Cultural Association and the Vietnamese Student Association, but have also joined stem clubs such as Steel Bridge and the American Society of Civil Engineers. Both types are very different, but they have allowed me to find people I can relate with on different levels. I think it’s good to put yourself out there to try and meet new people because it will make life much easier.