Classes in college are very different from high school. For some classes there are only 2 assignments, midterm, and a final. Other classes could be lots of work and assignments everyday. For example, this year my math class had almost 2 assignments everyday while history had 2 essays the whole semester. It was a heavy workload and the professor also did not benefit me. Therefore I dropped the class and learned the material on my own to be prepared for next semester math. Most classes are also lecture-like with a discussion on other days. So most of the time I am taking notes in my classes. In other classes the professors focused on group work and not lectures.One big change from high school are very large classes. My math and history class had 100+ students. This was a huge adjustment as the professors cannot focus on every student. With that I realized it was vital to ask questions and go to office hours. Lastly, depending on how much material a professor has to go over they might pick up the pace of teaching. Again I realized it was not going to be like high school, and asking questions, writing the most important information, and office hours are crucial.

CPSG was a great experience. It is only one colloquium a week and not a heavy workload. I think this was a great way to learn more about climate change and other science topics. Some of the topics I didn't expect us to cover were rocks, creating a portfolio, and fallacies, however they were all either interesting or beneficial to learn. The outside of campus activity was taking out an invasive species from ponds. This activity was difficult, I know that the service was benefiting the park for good however, the heat made the day unbearable. Before the day I did not know what to expect, but it definitely wasn't being in a pond. Now that the activity is over I am grateful I did it and it was something I've never experienced in my life. Lastly, some things I hope to cover next semester is how we can personally help slow down global climate change or how to become more sustainable.

My university life is much different from my high school life. I will explain some similarities and differences of my everyday university life to high school. First, I live on campus, but most days after class I go to my partner's house. Coming back home is really the only similarity I have. Even though I do go home some days, other days I sleep in my dorm. This was a big adjustment for me due to sharing a small room with someone I barely knew. It was important to me to get comfortable with my roommate so the living situation is more bearable. The showers are also small and I still haven't gotten used to them yet. However, living on campus gives me the opportunity to eat at the diner. The food at the diners is much different than high school food. There are a vast amount of options available to eat, unlike high school where there are only a couple of options. I also think the food tastes a lot better too. Another difference is independence. This is the biggest difference, from picking your own classes, to getting to classes (not consecutive classes in one location), managing your schedule (time management), and making choices by yourself. My mom made me an independent person in high school which was helpful to the transition to college. Im am grateful for this because getting adjusted to a whole new setting is difficult, but I felt prepared for this next big step.

My advice to incoming students would be to complete your 4-semester plan. This is a layout for your classes for the next 4 semesters. This plan is very beneficial for everyone, because on the day you schedule your classes being lost will hinder your scheduling. Since you're a freshman you will already have last pick to your classes and other freshman will want the same classes as you. Not being prepared you may consequently not get the classes you need, get a professor you don't prefer, or miss out on genEDs you need. Speaking of professors, I highly recommend using the website Rate My Professor.
This website will give you insight on the professors who teach a class. Students give reviews on the website about the professor, it also gives an overall rating for the teacher, difficulty, and if you take them again. This also helps in the process of scheduling. Knowing what professors you work well with can benefit your grades to the max. Lastly, I advise you to focus as hard as you can your first year. Falling behind will hurt your GPA and in future semesters you will have to try really hard to bring your GPA back up. So work hard now to not have to work harder later.

Last modified: 11 November 2021