Hello, Everyone!
I am in my second year of college, and I think I am finally beginning to figure everything out. It has occurred to me, over a course of time, that I was not fully educated on everything there is to know about college life. I’ve talked to many peers, and they seem to feel the same way. It is true that there is no way to fully know what college is going to be like until you are there. However, there are a few things I wish I would have known. I have decided to document my story in this thread–feel free to read, or pass. My hope is that, through this story, someone will be helped in his/her first year of study.
Without further ado, here is my story:
My senior year of high school, I was dead set on going to college and majoring in physics. I loved my physics class in high school, and I thought I could see myself doing that for the rest of my life. I felt that I was fully prepared for college–I had taken several AP classes, I had a 4.0 GPA, and I had received a 33 on the ACT. I felt that I was doing everything right.
I only applied to and visited two different schools. One was a small engineering and science university in my state, the other a large state university in a different state where I had been accepted into the honors college. After visiting both, I decided to attend the large state university. I’m not completely sure what made me make this decision–my visit was not necessarily a pleasant experience, I did not know anyone else that went there (or that was going), and it was a big school, especially compared to my tiny, tight-knit high school.
I started my first semester very optimistically. I was matched with an adviser in the physics department. He was an incredibly nice guy, and taught an honors seminar that I was enrolled in. He made me feel like more than a number, and I felt like I was going to easily find my place at a big school. I was also enrolled in an honors intro physics class that I was very excited about. I was not supposed to be enrolled in it–college calculus was a prerequisite, and I hadn’t had it yet. The physics department made an exception for me because I was enrolled in calculus and had it in high school. This was problem number 1. Problem number 2? I was enrolled in 7 classes, 20 credit hours. I was misinformed about the average class load, and for a first semester freshman, 20 credit hours was simply way too much to handle.
The reality of 20 credit hours started to set in after about a month. I didn’t really have any friends yet; I was still settling in. I had a good relationship with my roommates, but other than that, I had no support from anyone. When things got overwhelming, I felt like I didn’t have anyone to turn to. My physics class ended up being way too much–I didn’t understand half of the calculus behind it, and I was sinking into a deep hole, despite visiting my professor’s office hours weekly. My calculus class was a bit of a culture shock–it was taught by an Asian GTA, and I didn’t know how to handle that.
I tolerated my misery for about half of the semester. At that point, I realized that I was not interested in what I thought I was. I hated my physics class–everything about it. I didn’t want to just quit, but I wanted out of the physics department. I went to talk to my adviser, feeling a little bit guilty since he was part of the physics faculty, and one of my professors. Luckily, he was very understanding of my problems, and helped me come up with a different plan. At that point, I didn’t know what I was going to switch my major to, but kept my next semester open, with a variety of classes. I finished my first semester with a 3.5 GPA. I felt defeated, disappointed, and sad. I didn’t have a place at my university, and I wasn’t happy with my grades or my success there.
The spring semester of my freshman year was a completely different story. I was enrolled in several random social sciences and humanities, as well as calculus 2. Since I wasn’t sure what I was doing anymore, I didn’t take anything super specific. My calculus 2 professor was incredible. After a semester of horrible math instruction, I felt comfortable with math again, and I enjoyed every minute of that class. I began to consider majoring in math, but I didn’t take any action, because I knew that being set on a major could be dangerous. I also found my place in a few on-campus groups, and found a good group of friends. Things were looking up (I got a 4.0!), and I felt comfortable enrolling in a math based schedule for the next semester. I enrolled in three math classes (vector calculus, differential equations, and linear algebra), an economics class, and a psychology class that satisfied a general education requirement.
My third semester (the semester I just completed) was the most mentally exhausting four months of my life. HOWEVER, I loved every minute of it. I loved my math classes, I loved my professors, AND I loved economics. I ended with 4 A’s and an A-, after a ton of hard work. I finally declared my math major, and now I am toying with the idea of double majoring with economics. I am taking more math classes next semester, along with another economics class. From there, I will decide what I want to do. Whatever I do, I am confident that things will continue to work out.
Moral of the story?
(1) Don’t be afraid to go to college with no idea of what you want to do. Go with an open mind. I thought I knew what I wanted, but I didn’t.
(2) Don’t assume that college is going to be a cake walk. Classes are hard, and college is a new experience. Expect to study a lot–the traditional rule is 2 hours for every credit hour, but I have always had to study much more than that.
(3) Adjusting to college life is a process. If you don’t find your place right way, it is OKAY. Things will work out.
(4) Find someone to talk to. You can’t go at this alone.
(5) Everything will be ok. Don’t worry if you don’t ‘get it’ right away. Like I said, adjusting is a process. You will come out stronger after your initial struggles. I am a better person than I was before.
