10 things I wish I had known as a freshman
By: Lauren Balos
Issue date: 9/17/08 Section: Opinion
First off I have a little disclaimer for the reader. It is only my second year here at California State University, Stanislaus and there are probably a vast number of things I do not know about the school, but here are a few basic things I wish someone had told me.
1. Not having a major on day one is okay. Looking back I am seriously lucky that I ended up liking the major I haphazardly picked on a random day my senior year of high school. On this same note changing majors is also okay, the world will not end simply because you did not know exactly what you wanted for the rest of your life when you were seventeen.
2. There is a place for general education advising. If you seek out some help and are not sure which classes meet which requirements then you can head on over to the advising office in the MSR building. At this magical place they can create a personalized checklist for you and answer general questions.
3. Questions are a good thing. Do not be like me. I had several thousand questions about who, what when, where, and why and I never asked. Asking can only help you and no one minds lending some knowledge.
4. Other college kids are your allies. If you need help your best resource can be your peers. The horrendously scary college kids that have problems throughout their first year and beyond that are portrayed on television is not the reality. That is a good thing.
5. Schedule yourself a break or two during the day. I was given this pearl of wisdom and ignored it. Trust me it is a good thing, a break gives you lunch time, study time, homework time, and relaxing time.
6. Pack a survival kit. In other words come prepared with snacks, water, and Tylenol for the inevitable headache. Classrooms can get chilly, so bring a sweater. My rule of thumb is you can never be too prepared.
7. Find out the standards early. This applies to individual classes, the university in general and specific members of the faculty. It is never a bad idea to know the rules of the game.
8. Stay organized. Again this applies to many things. Organize your time, your papers, and your classes. Just know what is going on. This applies one more time to our asking questions mandate.
9. College is everything I expected. In many ways college life was not this earth shattering wake-up call. There are classes and topics high school could never cover and there is freedom that is unlike any previous school interactions. All of these things are expected and delivered.
10. College also had some unexpected surprises. While, parts of college life live up to the popular concepts there are many parts that are surprising. Sure homework and tests are hard work but you are not required to spend every moment studying. It seems that college is either portrayed to be all work and no play or one giant party. The thing I discovered is to balance your social and academic life and set a goal that can be accomplished with a little bit of time and effort.
1. Not having a major on day one is okay. Looking back I am seriously lucky that I ended up liking the major I haphazardly picked on a random day my senior year of high school. On this same note changing majors is also okay, the world will not end simply because you did not know exactly what you wanted for the rest of your life when you were seventeen.
2. There is a place for general education advising. If you seek out some help and are not sure which classes meet which requirements then you can head on over to the advising office in the MSR building. At this magical place they can create a personalized checklist for you and answer general questions.
3. Questions are a good thing. Do not be like me. I had several thousand questions about who, what when, where, and why and I never asked. Asking can only help you and no one minds lending some knowledge.
4. Other college kids are your allies. If you need help your best resource can be your peers. The horrendously scary college kids that have problems throughout their first year and beyond that are portrayed on television is not the reality. That is a good thing.
5. Schedule yourself a break or two during the day. I was given this pearl of wisdom and ignored it. Trust me it is a good thing, a break gives you lunch time, study time, homework time, and relaxing time.
6. Pack a survival kit. In other words come prepared with snacks, water, and Tylenol for the inevitable headache. Classrooms can get chilly, so bring a sweater. My rule of thumb is you can never be too prepared.
7. Find out the standards early. This applies to individual classes, the university in general and specific members of the faculty. It is never a bad idea to know the rules of the game.
8. Stay organized. Again this applies to many things. Organize your time, your papers, and your classes. Just know what is going on. This applies one more time to our asking questions mandate.
9. College is everything I expected. In many ways college life was not this earth shattering wake-up call. There are classes and topics high school could never cover and there is freedom that is unlike any previous school interactions. All of these things are expected and delivered.
10. College also had some unexpected surprises. While, parts of college life live up to the popular concepts there are many parts that are surprising. Sure homework and tests are hard work but you are not required to spend every moment studying. It seems that college is either portrayed to be all work and no play or one giant party. The thing I discovered is to balance your social and academic life and set a goal that can be accomplished with a little bit of time and effort.
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