This is the end of my first ever semester at college. Here are five things I’ve learned.
The library is even more helpful than I assumed it would be. Having easy access to computers and books without having to bring them from home has been invaluable several times.
Professors make or break the experience. I managed to get pretty lucky with my teachers this time around, and their encouragement has been a major factor in me managing to accomplish what I have so far academically.
Notes are everything. Most of my exams have been open-note, which I was definitely not used to at the beginning of the semester. Now, though, I’m taking much more detailed notes than I did in high school, which also forces me to pay more attention during class.
Making friends is a lot harder than I thought it would be. The only thing I can really recommend is to join as many extracurriculars and attend as many events as possible. Most of the time, friends are people you just happen to meet- so the best way to increase the chances of that happening is to meet as many people as possible.
College is completely different from high school, in a good way. There’s more independence, more flexibility, but also more support. So much of how you want to learn is now a personal choice. I would genuinely advise people in high school who hate school to give college a chance because I used to be in the exact same boat.