Here's What the First Year College Experience Is Actually Like

With the first semester of my first academic year in college concluded, here are some of my thoughts and things learnt over the past few months.

Time Management

Everyone talks about how much freedom you acquire when attending college, but few mention the potential drawbacks that come along. For example, unlike in high school, some college courses don’t require mandatory attendance. Meaning that, in theory, you don’t have to show up for lectures at all, and what you do with that time is left up to you to decide.

Of course, you shouldn’t skip every single lecture for a class. It’s a lethal habit to develop that can seriously undermine your future, especially at the beginning of your college experience, as it’s easy to miss out on connecting with students and professors and fall behind on material quickly.

Personally, I’ve skipped lectures when I have to study for an upcoming exam or when I truly find them unhelpful for learning (and when the course doesn’t take attendance). I’ve also had friends skip because they already knew the material in high school or are so exceptionally intelligent that they no longer find it challenging.

But even if you decide to skip lectures purely because you don’t feel like going (which happens more than you want to), it’s still a good idea to either attend office hours for another class where you get the opportunity to ask professors questions or study the material by yourself in a location you’re comfortable in to remain on track. When you feel like you’ve got a good grasp on the material or when you’re simply too exhausted, then you can enjoy your free time with things you enjoy.

On the other hand, if you choose to stay in class, make sure you pay attention to the lecture. Unfortunately, many students were on their phones playing Clash Royale most of the time, which can lead to the same consequences as skipping class, as mentioned above.

The main idea here is that college isn’t like high school. Although you don’t have the pressure of applying to college anymore to push you to study, you should still maintain decent studying and time management habits and stay on track in all your classes. And when you’re not studying, find an interesting and harmless activity you can submerge yourself in. Oftentimes, that’s what sets students who enjoy their time in college apart from those who don’t.

Image Credit: Brad Neathery from Unsplash

Take the Quiz: Choose Your Daily Aesthetic and We'll Reveal Which Movie Icon You Should Be This Halloween!

Your daily aesthetic can reveal more about you than you might think! Take this quiz to discover which movie star matches your unique vibe.

Making Friends & Clubs

Contrary to popular belief, making friends in college isn’t difficult at all. Most people left their homes for the first time to go to an unfamiliar place without their parents’ company. The best way to cure this homesickness is to make new friends to re-establish that sense of connection and belonging.

People want to make new friends but are also afraid of appearing desperate if they ask first. In reality, you simply need to take the initiative—college students are not as judgmental and hostile as one may think.

A good way to make friends is through clubs and student organizations. Another big difference between high school and college is that you don’t have to join a prestigious club for the sake of applying to college, even if you dislike it; you can choose to join the clubs that interest you, thereby choosing the type of people you want as your new friends.

To join a club, consider your background and personal hobbies. For example, my college has a Chinese Basketball Association for Chinese students who enjoy playing basketball, or an Athletes in Medicine organization for student athletes interested in medicine.

Afterwards, you can visit the school’s website to find the club you want to join. Also, check the club’s social media for information like meeting times and locations. When you arrive at a meeting, you just have to introduce yourself, things like where you’re from, your intended major, some of your hobbies, etc.

You should also ask something related to the club, for example, if you’re at your school’s art club, ask others what their favorite art styles are or who their favorite artist is. Once you get the conversation going, everything else will come naturally.

Furthermore, it’s essential to note that not everyone you talk to will be your friend, some you may never meet again, and that’s okay. The most important thing is that you find like-minded individuals with whom you feel relaxed. After all, quality is better than quantity.

Image Credit: Chang Duong from Unsplash

Expect Failures

This is probably the most important lesson I learned this semester. Not everything will go your way. This extends beyond academics into other fields, such as extracurriculars, social life, or even dating. That club executive position you weren’t selected for, that one club that didn’t even accept your application, etc.

Out of all failures, failing a test has to be the most painful one. I remember straight-up failing my second chemistry test of the semester because I devoted most of my time towards studying for a calculus exam the day before. Never have I done so poorly on an exam in my life. I was left in such a state of shock that I couldn’t even begin to question myself.

Image Credit: Michael Dziedzic from Unsplash

Everything Will Be Fine

On the positive note, colleges are aware of the difficulty of transitioning from high school to college. This is why some classes (such as my chemistry course) have a replacement policy, where the final exam grade replaces your lowest exam score. Other classes have policies where you drop the lowest quiz grade.

This was really helpful for me, as it helped me soon forget about this test grade to divert all my attention to the chemistry final. In the end, I got a good score on it, which brought my grade up to an A.

The point is, college is designed with room for growth, adjustment, and recovery, as long as you are willing to keep showing up and putting in the effort. Even when things feel overwhelming in the moment, if you ask for help, you will get it (useful resources include professors, teaching assistants, and peers). Looking back, I’ve learned to believe that setbacks, although expected, are always temporary, and that in the end, everything really will be fine.

Image Credit: Rae Tian from Unsplash