Seven Castles

First-year University Students

                                      

October 6, 2006

 

Usually first-year university students want to experience as much as possible. However, quite a number of these starters fail or do really badly, even though they may have done well in high school, because they got paranoid and studied super hard every day in school. And then they over-stress themselves, burn out, give up, and then procrastinate like crazy; they are surprised at the no-one-cares-that-you-skip-class-anymore concept so they just skip class and have fun with their friends a lot every week and every weekend. Then projects come and midterms/exams come and they are screwed because they procrastinated too much. In short, they hardly do anything during their first semester despite vowing that they would work hard once they get into university.

 

As JP is now a university freshman, we wondered if anyone could provide tips on how to survive first year, if there are any good ways to study for exams and how to get to know people around the campus. The followings are selected advice contributed by some graduates.

 

The great thing about your first year in college is being given the opportunity to start over with a clean slate. You could be anyone you want to be. In high school, you explore your individuality; but in college, you express it. Do not resort to drastic changes, though, or you might lose yourself in all the hype. Take the chance to meet people, as college is a melting pot of unique people of diverse backgrounds. The manner in which you discipline yourself will most certainly be tested and there will be a lot of room to make mistakes, as well as learn from them. Do not abuse the freedom college offers you that you lose touch of the various aspects of your life. College is a sea of opportunities, so take chances and do your best in whatever things you set your heart on.

 

The most important thing to know when you make that transition from high school to university is self-discipline and motivation. Self-discipline is very important. This does not mean that you should study 24/7 the moment school starts. As a teenager, you might be lazy, but just at least go over your notes every day after school (even just read through it once very quickly) and preview the material before going to class. Again it can be very quick; just quickly skim through the textbook to have a glimpse of what is coming up in class today. Do not skip classes. What is different from high school is that if you skip class, no one knows and no one even cares! So if you skip one class, you will realize how "easy" it is and you usually tend to skip more and more classes. Always stay on top of your work and even when tempted to cut class. Attending lectures and actually paying attention helps a lot. The professors often drop hints regarding tests or exams. Missing a lecture is enough to set you back a lot. Do not fall behind in your studies. It is ridiculously painful to try to catch up.

 

Start developing those good habits like getting good sleeps and not waiting till the last day to do homework. Just make sure you leave some time every day to study. Make sure you get enough sleep (eight hours of sleep is critical). Maintain your health at all times, as getting sick is really bad. Know when you do best and adjust your study and sleeping schedules. Some people are early birds or night owls, but others are afternoon people. The good thing about university is that you get to plan your own class schedule. Even if it is fixed timetables, there is still a list to pick from. If you cannot wake up early in the morning, do not sign up for morning classes! You will just end up skipping some of them and then skipping all of them. Time management is key. The better you manage your time, the easier your life will be in university.

 

Living in the dorms is definitely worth the experience for you. That is how you meet a lot of people. You definitely make friends, especially with the people in your class and you go to class and share homework together. It helps to exchange notes or form a study session. That way you will feel more motivated to do well in school because you have someone to compare with. When midterms/finals comes around two or more brains are definitely better than one.

 

And most importantly, have fun! Some students make the mistake of completely wrapping themselves up in their work, and while it is good to study and to keep up with your work, it is best to give yourself some good breaks, too. The mind works best when relaxed and balanced. Achieve a good balance between school, fun/extracurricular activities, and work/volunteer. Meet new friends, and try new things! First year of college is to meet as many people as possible or joining clubs. It is the best to build up your network, learning how to develop a good network of friends in which you can discuss assignments/work together on projects, hold study sessions together, share your interests and develop your personality... While getting benefits from something good on campus, you can also find out tricks and cheats to the school. College also leaves it very open for study groups, and they are highly recommended. Meet a core group of friends that you can have a study group with. They can often make a big difference.

 

【作者: zhangliping】【访问统计:】【2006年10月6日 星期五 06:14】【 加入博采】【打印】