Orientation 2014

<p>Oh, he will be fine, I can promise. Does he already know what buildings these back-to back-to back classes are in? I am assuming you are talking MWF classes also. Because T-Th classes you get an extra 5 minutes between classes.</p>

<p>My son has 8:00, 9:00 and 10:00 on MWF and he prefers that. He is done by 11:00 so he can study, do homework, work out, get a work study job…He can’t believe how much “easier” a college schedule is coming off his high school schedule where he had 7 classes in a row every day! And he doesn’t actually mind the 8:00 since he’s used to getting up at 6:00 am to be to school by 7:30, now he can roll out of bed at 7:30, brush his teeth and meander over to class! </p>

<p>I would say that for most students, the biggest problem they have isn’t going crazy and partying too much with their new freedom, although certainly for some it is. And for a smaller number, it is severe homesickness. But I think more kids struggle with having too much time that isn’t scheduled for them than anything else, and disciplining themselves accordingly. After all, as dolphnlvr says, they have gone from about 37 hours a week in one building, most of it in a classroom, to about 15 hours a week in a classroom. Add to that that quite a few have fewer committed hours of organized activities outside school hours, be that athletic teams, music lessons, whatever. Procrastination and frittering away of time are easily, I think, the biggest traps for most students.</p>

<p>I agree, with that much free time comes the assumption that they have 'so much time" to get things done and procrastination. The busier they are the easier it is to keep to a schedule! I noticed a slight slip in my sons grades the year he had to sit out track due to a stress fracture and he had much more free time. One would think he would have used all that extra time to study and get work done but that wasn’t the case! </p>

<p>It is, indeed, the eternal contradiction. I was no different. I know I have told the story that my only straight A semesters at Tulane were when I was crazy busy with my commitments in music, the lab, and a heavier then usual class load. I don’t think they did A- type grades back then, but I could easily be wrong on that. Just can’t remember for sure.</p>