Precious Conteh's "Freshman Time Capsule" Reflection Essay

College was everything and, nothing like I expected. All the scary aspects of my fear in high school were accurate. Classes had more material, which I had to take time to learn and study, but I had more free time and opportunities than I did in high school. With that factor balancing it out, college was nowhere near as terrifying as I thought it would be. I’ve made a lot of good memories and friends during this year, and I have hope for the rest of my college career. Alongside my social life, I’ve experienced an entirely new version of schooling, one that I never thought was feasible in my lifetime. There are so many convenient aspects of attending college classes. The dorms are on campus, most professors are truly passionate about what they’re teaching, I can be passionate about what I’m learning, and there are so many resources on campus to help when you’re struggling. Overall, I’ve enjoyed my freshman year experience and I hope that others will too.

One course that came as the greatest surprise to me was organic chemistry 1. I had heard a lot of bad things about it and after my negative experience with general chemistry 1, I thought all hope was lost. As I took the class I discovered that the reason why it was notorious was because you had to study and you had to study hard. The concepts weren’t hard to understand but they were unique enough that if you didn’t consistently review them, you'd forget how it works. In addition, there’s a LOT of stuff you have to know to pass some of the tests. Since I never had to seriously study before college, I was still feeling out what studying techniques work for me. During this year I’ve learned that I’m someone who learns through reading and action. Practice problems, flashcards, and rewriting notes to be neater and concise, really helped me understand and remember the content. During exam periods, redoing different practice exams and questions provided by the teacher truly helped me prepare for what the tests had. One way other students can be prepared for the unexpected is by taking reviews of classes with a grain of salt. Focus on how people describe the teaching methods of teachers as opposed to if their class is easy or hard. Different people have different strengths and weaknesses, and it depends on the individual whether or not they’ll be successful in a class.

My greatest successes when it came to advisor relationships were with Dr. Merck from our very own scholars program and one of my biology professors. I often talked to my biology professor after class to ask questions about the content and he wrote me a recommendation letter when I applied to internships, while Dr. Merck read my internship essays. Ways other people can connect with their faculty is by finding opportunities to talk to them. Go to office hours, talk to them after class, ask them about their work, pay attention, and ask good questions. If you show a genuine interest in your field of study and the drive to achieve your goals, professors are bound to like you and have good things to say about you.

It takes time to adapt to college life. Personally, I really struggled with finding effective techniques for studying and time management, but it’s a process. It’s ok to make mistakes the first time around. Take your time and be kind to yourself. And remember you are not the only one experiencing this. There are people in the exact same boat as you, and experiencing it together will 100% make it easier. While everyone else may seem intimidating initially, they feel the same way you do. Find people you mesh with and use their friendship to get you through hard times on campus. Feeling like you have a community will offset the loneliness. So, put yourself out there and try your hardest.