Universities have the unique ability to provide coursework for areas of study you did not imagine existed. This semester I took a history course titled "Zombies, Fear, and Contagion: A Cultural History of Public Health, Medicine, and Technology," essentially, this course was a zombie history class. Naturally, this course came as a surprise to me; how could a professional institution teach zombies? Generally, history courses are not my cup of tea, so to keep my spirits up, I attempt to take the most random courses available. Hence, I immediately knew I had to take zombie history. Everyone will have courses they are required to take that they will not enjoy. To alleviate this, I suggest finding courses that you would never have expected to see. Not only may they be fun, but you may be surprised by the real-world connections you make that are only enhanced by the seeming absurdity of the course.
Developing mentoring relationships with faculty was particularly hard this semester due to the online nature of classes; however, hopefully, this will not be an issue next semester. Regardless, I was able to find a few mentors that I genuinely enjoy talking to. It may be intimidating initially and feel slightly unnatural, but remember professors and advisors are here to help you. My advice here is to just be present. Go to office hours even if you do not have specific questions, go to work and keep yourself accountable. This task may be easier if you go with a friend; hence, you will feel less intimidated by the professor and be more willing to strike up a conversation as a group. Additionally, it is essential to form relationships with professors and staff from your department. Again, the same advice of being present is applicable here. If there are volunteering options, presentations, or small job opportunities, go or apply to them. This will give you the chance to meet others in your major, get to know the staff, and simply feel a greater sense of belonging within your field of study.
One of the most overwhelming aspects of college is what I would deem the "emotional" adjustment. What I mean by this is the emotional highs and lows whose transitions are anything but smooth. I found minimal middle ground in college; you can either have fun with friends or knee deep in work. This resulted in various forms of isolating myself from my friends and family because I believed I would never finish my work or deal with the exterior world. However, I was incredibly mistaken. Just because you are living on your own does not mean you have to become a hermit. Being able to take a walk with a friend was often the only thing that kept me sane. On Sundays, my friend and I would always go on a walk, and knowing that time was always scheduled was a great relief. I knew nothing was expected of me during that designated time. As a result, I could just enjoy the fresh air and take a minute to appreciate just being with another person regardless of everything else happening.
Academically what I was least prepared for coming into college was how long everything I did would take me. All my assignments or study sessions always seemed to take longer than I had initially planned. I would then get frustrated, causing my focus to be elsewhere, leading to a vicious cycle. My recommendation is to always schedule everything for at least 30min longer than you anticipate to avoid this issue. Additionally, wake up early, actually getting out of bed, and getting one assignment done before your classes start (assuming you do not have a class at 8am). Finishing one assignment in the morning always made my day feel like I started off on a positive note.
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