I'm pleased to announce- I survived my first semester back to college after being out of that environment for about 10 years. Not only did I meet my goal of earning a "B" in all of my class- I exceeded that by earning straight "As" and a 4.0 GPA over 14 semester credit hours! This was achieved all while working full time & tending to the hubby & 2 kids at home. Talk about coming back full force!
Over the past 4 months, I've learned a lot of things about college the second time around that you never really "get" fresh out of high school. It has also been interesting discussing my points of view with a friend of mine who happens to be a professor at the same college I'm going to (no, I did not & will not have him for a class- he teaches English classes outside of what I need as graduating requirements, which we are both thankful for) and he shared some interesting views from a teacher's standpoint. I'd like to share some of these lessons with you.
For those of you who, like me, have already gone down this road: you'll get a kick out of this & it make take you back to a time where you think "I hope I didn't act like that!".
For those of you getting ready to graduate H.S. in the next few years & head off to college:
PAY ATTENTION!
For anyone fresh out of H.S. and already in your first year of college:
TAKE A HINT!
#1: College can be fun! Yes, it takes a lot of work to succeed, but just keep in mind that everything you work on in each class puts you one step closer to your ultimate goal- a degree in a career field you want.
#2: If you are struggling or having problems, ask the teacher for help. You are adults and it is YOUR responsibility to ask for help if you need it. Your success all up to you & is good practice for the real world- get use to it. (This one is for all those who whined like babies because a class or teacher wasn't as easy or lenient/buddy-buddy they felt every single class/teacher should be. You are an adult, not everyone is your friend: deal with it.) You get what you put into it; which brings me to...
#3: For every credit hour you register for, plan to spend 2 outside of the classroom on that course work. For example- I took 14 semester hours this term, so I had to expect the teachers to dish out 28+hrs of outside work each week. 80% of teachers/professors will give you "homework" as if their class is the only one you're taking (this is where the + comes into play). I can not tell you how many reviews or complaints I heard about how "we had so much work outside of the lecture period", whah, whah, whah! (Again, for those who didn't want to have to do anything but show up for class- you are lazy, try actually putting some effort in for a change.)
#4: Yes, you will find a new social group at college. No, you are not the center of everyone's world. Unless a bunch of your friends all have the same class schedule as you, no one will care that you were popular in H.S. , that you were prom queen or the star quarterback, or that you think you are sexy as hell. Except for the people of your social group & likely a few people of the opposite sex, people are there to learn and for themselves, not to worship you. So those delusions of grandeur you may have about how "cool" everyone will think you are in college: get over yourself. Everyone is there for their own reasons, not for you. (This goes with my next point.)
#5: The following things are distracting not only to your fellow students, but can be to the teacher as well & should never be worn to class:
*body glitter (especially if you sit next to a window & it's sunny)
*super low cleavage showing tops/dresses
*super short skirts/dresses
*any top/pant set showing your mid-rift
*high-heels & toe-less shoes (namely to a laboratory class; seriously, some girls thought this was a good idea- can we say "dumb"?)
*pants/skirts that are so tight or short that you show muffin-top or crack (lets face it, both of those are nasty & no one in their right mind would think it's sexy)
*anything you would consider wearing to a club
#6: To go with #5- if you are dressing to impress someone in class, you're going to that class for the wrong reason & you need to re-prioritize & re-focus.
#7: Let's face it, not all teachers/professors & classes are the same & you will not be able to study/prepare in the exact same way for each & every one. Pay attention to the teacher/professor's instruction & 1st tests- this gives you a good idea of what you need to do to succeed in that class.
Work hard & use your common sense & you will succeed- Good luck!
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