The End of the Beginning

• Chris The Grad
• 0 Comments
• December 23, 2023

By: Chris The Graduate 

Hello all Chris the Graduate here! As the end of the year is near, so is my first semester of college. Now for me, it seems as if these four months have sped by, but I have learned many things in my first semester. I have learned how to manage my time, think critically, and collaborate with others. I have also gained a better understanding of my strengths and weaknesses. Overall, my experience has been positive and I am looking forward to the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. I am confident that I will be able to make the most of my second semester and continue to grow. Having said that, let me share some of my key learnings with you.

One important thing I learned was to manage my time and manage it in a way that is easy to follow and digest throughout my week. College classes were different from high school and were a major change from how I used to do homework and assignments. Then, I had the same classes from Monday to Friday. But in college, I had some classes on different days. And even then I had classes in the afternoon and was able to customize my schedule. But in high school, for the most part, it was you who stayed until the final bell. 

But what am I getting at? Well, let’s not think that just because you have free time you have downtime. This is the time to work on projects and homework. This is where you decide how much you can work on and do work efficiently. A good example is my schedule at college. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I didn’t have classes until 11 am. So I used my time to wake up around 8 am, on a good day, and get ready for the day and work on homework that is easier such as essays and reading projects. But on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I would work on homework that took a little bit of time for me to do and had until 12:30 till my first class. All this is because of how I manage my time and use my time wisely and not lollygagging around to finish my work.

In college, I’ve also learned that I’m more independent since there isn’t a parent or someone to help me directly. The choice of how I go about things as a young adult and student depends on when I need to wake up and study for classes. As a college student, you have responsibilities that are more important than you may think. But this applies everywhere, even in situations outside of classes. On my campus, the cafeteria is the main source of food, and I receive an allowance for how many times I can get food there every week. Occasionally, though, Chinese food sounds really good. Despite my desire for Chinese food, I would have to travel off campus to get it and then come back to campus, where I could walk across the street to get all the food I wanted and then return to my dorm in under 10 minutes. To make the right choice, even simple things like this require critical thinking.

The last thing that I would say is have fun. In college mistakes and struggles are inevitable, but the last thing you want to do is regret not doing anything during your time in college. Find a group that you can relate to and do great activites with. Or even spend time doing something you are passionate about just ease and clear your mind. Enjoy college and don’t be afraid to take risks and try new things. College is a time to explore and learn new things. Take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way. For example, you can join a club or organization related to your major, or join a student organization that focuses on a cause you care about. All in all, make the most out of college and don’t be afraid to explore the unknown. Take breaks when needed and reach out to your professors or advisors if you need help. Remember, college is a journey, so make the most of it and have fun!