<p>I am currently a freshman in college. So technically, I've been a college student for about 4 weeks now. It's a whole lot different from high school. There's a lot more work and I don't know how to study so well. I came out of high school as a dental assistant through a program I did. That being said, I wanted to be a dentist more than anything. I love the idea of owning my business and working with people. However, most people who go to dental school major in Biology. I'm taking the intro course and I don't feel I'm doing to hot. I don't retain the info very well. It's a lot to take in. So I'm starting to think, maybe biology isn't my thing. Should I take this as a sign that dentistry isn't for me? Or should I just choose a different major and still apply to dental school? But then again, I still need the pre-reqs for dental school which include a lot of science courses. I hate this time of confusion for me. I just want to excel at what I do and right now, I don't feel I'm accomplishing that. Any suggestions? Also tips for how to study well would really help! Thanks!</p>
<p>You’re less than a month into college. Slow down and take a deep breath. As you pointed out yourself, college is a lot different from high school. There’s an adjustment period. I can guarantee you’re not the only one feeling overwhelmed by the work and not feeling like you have sufficient study skills. It will take time to get into the swing of things. Personally, I would go through at least a full semester and see how you feel at that point before thinking it’s all a sign you’re not cut out for the field.</p>
<p>As for studying, in part you have to figure out what works for you. Sometimes that’s flash cards or lots of highlighters or thinking out loud. Try putting together a study group in one of your classes. Just ask the people sitting near you in the lecture! In intro classes freshmen year, everyone tends to be really open and not set in their groups, and they’ll probably be thankful someone took the initiative with such an idea. Also try taking advantage of other resources your university probably has, like peer tutoring. That way you can get tips on studying and preparing from someone who has been through the course before.</p>
<p>It’s OK if you don’t have college down perfectly right away. Even if your first semester grades aren’t where you’d like them to be yet, that’s OK. What’s important is that you are making an effort to improve early on, and you will see results. Be patient, don’t panic, and keep working hard.</p>