The first semester of college was one of the most confusing times I went through. It does take awhile to adjust and figure everything out. After that semester college was a blast.
How much time do you spend on schoolwork outside of the classroom, especially if you're only taking 14 hours of mostly core classes? For most people, even just an additional hour for every hour spent in the classroom would probably be considered a lot.
This. By making yourself happy, you won't be on a downward spiral, as being depressed socially will negatively impact your grades. Consider a change of major? I know you love IA, but a change of scenery might be what you need. If you don't want to change, try to make some friends in your IA classes - you'll probably be seeing these people more as you continue your collegiate career (because same major = same courses, and you can choose your classes, hopefully). And when you try and do the schoolwork, see if they'll do it with you - a study group, if you will. I know at A&M, there were outlets to talk about problems and issues, social or otherwise. Exhaust these outlets - don't let pride get in the way. Use your IA counselor, General studies counselor, your mom, dad, etc. Don't let these problems get bottled up.
You should get into a study group. That will help take some of the pressure off you on your studies. You'll have an easier time learning, you'll have a smaller work load, and you'll be able to socialize. I wish I'd done that when I was in my first couple of year of university. Of course, better late than never, I suppose. If I hadn't reached out to others to work together on our studies, I would've been a mess. I probably would've failed.
Some advice for someone who struggled his first few years of college: 1. You are cut out for college. 2. Take the minimum number of hours next semester. You can always make up time in the summer. 3. If you are studying around the clock, then you're doing it all wrong. It's about the quality of studying and not the quantity. You should have a strategy for every class. If you can get your hands on old exams for the professor then you should be able to know exactly what you should be expecting. 3 continued. At first, your quantity of studying will be much higher. Once you get a few semesters under your belt, you will be much more efficient at it. 4. Find a study partner or two in each class. It may not be the socialization you want, but you never know what kind of friendships may last a lifetime. 5. STAY A CHAPTER AHEAD AND DO NOT FALL BEHIND. If you do fall behind, start attending office hours until you comprehend enough to catch up. There are tutors available, but they are only a crutch. You should be able to teach yourself everything once you've acquired the correct studying skills. 6. Get a hobby. Play an intramural sport, lift weights, take up a martial art... it doesn't matter! Take up something that helps you separate yourself and your mind from schoolwork for an hour or two a day. This will actually make you more efficient. Also, this is crucial once you finish school and enter the real world to have an outlet for your stress.
I understand how you're feeling. Anyone who's gone to college has felt the same way at some point. All I can tell you is you have to see the big picture. You're not playing checkers. It's chess. Having a college degree will help you with moves (life decisions) later in life. Countless people around the world would love to go to college. You have to have the grades and means to pay for it. Obviously you've been blessed with both. Take advantage of it. Don't put it off. When you're young it's so easy to think you can quit for awhile and go back later. Who knows what's around the corner for you. Seize the opportunity now!! I will tell you, that part of being an adult, is doing things that you don't want to do. School is a grind. So grind it out. Take it day by day and slowly but surely you'll get further along in the process. The best way to look at school is it's a job. Give it everything you have and one day the education will take care of you. Start eating better food and start exercising as much as you can because it will give you more energy. You'll also start thinking more positive as well. Good luck and look forward to seeing a post on here a few yrs down the road when you announce that you're graduating.
dude, college was great. sounds like you maybe taking too many classes. fix your situation and go find some new friends.
Umm, no offense, but it's not the fact that people would call him a loser without the degree. It's the fact that he would put himself at a disadvantage later without one. After working with over 12,000 individuals in the last 2 decades on job search, do you know how many are at a disadvantage without a degree- and how many wish they would have stuck it out? Hundreds. And there's nothing I can do on a resume to hide the fact that someone doesn't have a degree. It's the way the world is. Not having a degree puts you at a disadvantage, period. You have to think a bit long-term here. People change careers, start businesses, etc. in their 30s, 40s, etc. There is plenty of time for that. If you're fortunate enough to be in school at an early age, please, please stick it out. I have a degree that I probably will never have to use the rest of my life, owning my own business. But God forbid if things go south, the degree will come in handy.
If you try to study alone, you will be overwhelmed and will be spending most, if not all, of your time in the library. The students that get the best grades in college aren't necessarily the ones that are the "smartest" or hardest-working. Often, they're the ones that go to office hours, get a lot of tips and old tests from older students, and study with other students. If you want to do well, you should: 1. Go to office hours. Most professors are willing to help, and in some cases, straight-up give you the answers to homework and take-home quizzes. You can also clarify concepts that you didn't quite get in class or during your readings, which helps, because your professor is the one writing the exam. 2. Make friends, especially with students that have taken classes you intend to take. Professors usually use the same format for all of their tests, and sometimes, they only change a few words and numbers on some questions. If you study old class materials you obtain from these students, that will help you greatly. Also, it's just nice to have more friends that you can talk to and hang out with. 3. Form a study group with motivated students. Reading notes and the textbook over and over can get tedious, and your brain will probably not retain much. If you can go over what you've learned with another student from your class for 30 minutes to 1 hour, you can refresh what you've learned and catch some things that you didn't get during lecture. This will help you not get overwhelmed as the quarter/semester goes by. 4. Bring a recorder to class and write down the times during which your professor mentioned something important, whether it be an important test date or concept, in your notes. That way, you can go back to it later when you have the time. 5. Get things done as soon as possible if you have the time to do it. Simple chores can take a chunk out of your day if you put them off until later, and that will hurt you when your classes get busy. Another thing to remember: in this ****ty economy, you need experience to get a job, and you cannot get a job without experience. You need to start looking and applying for internships (especially paid) and jobs as soon as possible. The more you've built up your resume with paid job experience relevant to your field of study, the better. You can get information about the internships and jobs by talking with your advisers and your fellow peers and going to your school's career center. A lot of the time, good jobs are just laying around waiting to be taken, but because students often lack information about them, they don't even apply for these jobs. If you're better-informed, you have a huge leg up on the competition.
Agree with most of what you said, but had to laugh here. The students that get the best grades in college are often the ones that are the smartest and often are the ones that are the hardest-working.
Studying smartly means a lot more than just studying hard. Of course, my statement doesn't apply to all situations, but that's what I've observed.
Crazy man. I felt like there was soo much time. Being responsible with my time and handling business first before kicking back was the toughest challenge. You think there's no time now, wait until you actually start working. Let's not even mentioned marriage and kids if you choose to throw those in the mix. I can only wish to go back to those college days.
