College 4 Realz - College Classes

Education: The reason why you are at college. Classes are a major part of college and can make or break your college experience. I briefly described the difference between highschool and college classes in a previous post (here), but this post will go into more detail of what to expect and how to succeed in college level courses! Keep in mind that this is based off my personal experiences. Currently, I’ve only had 2 semesters of classes, and before that I was homeschooled (which was on my meet me page) so my personal experiences are somewhat limited 😊

Your First Day

          You have your carefully crafted course schedule clutched in your hand and a weighty backpack filled with all your new textbooks, plenty of notebook paper and an array of pencils, pens and a rainbow of highlighters slung around your shoulders. You know exactly where each of your classrooms are located, since you scouted them out yesterday. You enter your first classroom exactly 10 minutes early. Only a few other students are there already, so you have plenty of options to pick a perfect seat, which will probably be your unspoken-yet-assumed assigned seat for the rest of the semester. You choose a chair right in the middle, on the left-hand side of the room (not the front row, but close enough to see the board clearly). As more students trickle in, you lay out a fresh notebook and have your favorite mechanical pencil at the ready. A girl sits next to you and looks friendly, so you say hi and introduce yourself. Perhaps she could be a study buddy for this class! Suddenly your teacher walks in, one minute before the class should start. He looks kinda tired, but ready to start. As he begins to talk, you start to get comfortable and have officially started your first semester in college.

Here are some tips for your first day:

1. Leave for class early.

One of the Equestrian Studies Classrooms

                Give yourself plenty of time to find your classroom. Most colleges allow you to be in the classroom 10 minutes before class starts. Take advantage of this if you can so you can choose a good seat! You don’t want to be stuck in the corner on the back row where you can’t see anything. Getting to class a bit early on the first day also allows you to familiarize yourself with the classroom and maybe get to know some fellow students in the class.

2. Bring the textbook, or find out if you will need it for the class.

                I have always heard to not buy the textbook until after the first day of class, because you might not need it and it’s better to save money. I disagree. Most professors have you buy a textbook because they will use it, or it will help you learn the material. In my experiences, there is always an assigned reading from the textbook, or there are test questions based on the textbook readings. Unless the professor has specified that the book is unnecessary, I would go ahead and get it. If you are unsure, you can always email the professor to ask. They are there to help you and won’t be offended! They understand how expensive textbooks are. I would recommend bringing the book to the first class, you never know if you will need it or not (unless the teacher says you won’t need it in class) Once you get a feel for the class, then you can leave it behind if you want.

3. Try to get a contact in each class.

                During the first week of your first semester, everyone is trying to make friends, so it is easy to get someone’s contact information. It is SUPER helpful to know at least one person in each class. That way you can form a study group, or catch each other up on assignments and class notes in case one of you can’t make it to class. It might be awkward trying to get someone’s digits when you first meet them, but it is totally worth it.

4. Complete pre-assigned homework before coming to class.

                Read the syllabus and any information the professor has posted before the first class. Sometimes there is reading or other assignments due. Also, check your school email before class to check for any notifications. your professor might be sick and canceled class, you don't want to be the one who shows up!

5. Be prepared for some in-class work.

                Most college classes will just go over the syllabus and the professor’s expectations for the class on the first day. A lot of teachers will also go over the first lesson as well. Be prepared to take notes and learn!

Here are some general things to know about college classes:

1. The coursework level is about the same, just more specialized. If you did ok in highschool, you will probably be fine in college. Sure, you still have to write some intense research papers, and there are some big projects to tackle, but most types of homework assigned is stuff you have already done before. It’s the same kind of stuff- 5 paragraph essays, short answer questions, multiple choice and true/false tests. The information is simply more specialized depending on the class, and build off common knowledge you learn in highschool. However, this does not mean you can slack off, study hard because the professors are not as lenient as your high school teachers were.

2. It’s helpful to learn which teachers are AWESOME, and which teachers to avoid. This applies more to general education courses, like math, who have more than one teacher for a subject. Talk around to people who have taken the course before to find beforehand if you and the teacher will get along. Most teachers really know their stuff, and are fantastic people to learn from, but others may have a teaching style that conflicts with your learning style or are hard to understand. You can also go to ratemyprofessors.com to look at your choices.

3. Each semester has a Workload/Panic Cycle™. This refers to the amount of work/assignments and emotions of the student during a typical 16-week semester.

The Workload/Panic Cycle™

Week 1-3: Very light work, slight confusion/caution as the

student becomes accustomed to the teacher and the flow of the class. Little to no panic. Self-confidence emerges.

Week 4-8: Moderate/Normal work, Student is familiar with

the style of assignments and is performing adequately. Minimal amounts of panic pertaining to various due dates and Midterms. Student becomes bored and restless as fall/spring break approaches.

Week 9-12: Moderate to Advanced work. Student returns from break

 with renewed energy, which quickly fades during the    

 third day of classes. Student completes weekly  

 assignments with confidence and ease, but is wary of  

 upcoming projects due. However, the projects are due  

 in a couple weeks, so there is no point to worry

 about them right now. Low levels of panic.



My "To Do" Board
 Week 13 Spring 2017

Week 13: HIGH LEVELS OF OVERWHELMING PANIC. Student          realizes they have 3 research papers, 4            small written assignments, 2 presentations          and a few projects involving time-                  consuming effort all due within 2 weeks.            Fun is not in the student’s vocabulary at          this time. All efforts are focused on              starting all  projects while still                  maintaining all small  common weekly                assignments. Emotions include:                      Overwhelmed, Panic, Dread, Caffeine.                Sleep?  What is sleep? Self-confidence              begins to diminish.

Week 14-15: Advanced work. Student has calmed down after beginning all large assignments. The student has regained control. Student has formed a new schedule to work on each project accordingly, everything seems to be running smoothly. Busy and hectic, but manageable. Moderate level of panic. More relaxed as projects are completed one by one. Self-confidence rises to original level. *Note: A small break after week 15 (before finals) is highly recommended*

Week 16: Light Work. Finals. Student makes the final push    

towards freedom, and leaps for joy when each final is completed. Minor bouts of panic occur before each test/presentation, followed by periods of boredom when there is nothing to do. Emotions: Slight stress, Relief, Nostalgia upon realization that the semester is over. Self-confidence reaches a high, accompanied by pride in what you and your friends have learned and accomplished.

*Cycle repeats every semester*

I hope this has given you some idea of what college classes are like and some tips on how to handle your first day! As always, take my descriptions and advice with a grain of salt, since your experience will probably vary from mine. Remember, your experience with college classes will depend on what you make it to be. If you approach them with confidence, put in the time and effort that they deserve, and have some fun with it, you will do just fine.

Are there any tips I missed?

~Jennah