This week I am learning about the downsides of not coming to class! In the first week of school, a couple of teachers stated that they wouldn’t take off any points or drop students from the class for poor attendance. Me, being the opportunist I am, decided to exercise this privilege. That was definitely the worst idea ever. Not only do I have to learn all of the material for the two exams I have this week, I don’t have any notes to guide me. Who knew someone could cram so much information in just 55 minutes? Not only that, but adding up all of those 55 minutes I missed definitely leaves me at a number I’m not comfortable thinking about. Lesson learned. Time to start going to class, no matter how great going home and taking a well-deserved nap sounds.
In my Intro to Music class today, we discussed the renaissance, where all of the churches were in control and gaining more by the minute. Apparently, it wasn’t a very nice thing. But come to think of it, is it really that much different today? Religion still runs this country more than anything else. Think about all of the presidents who won elections. Every one of them was Christian. The main feux pas in the United States today are related to religion, including gay marriage, views on abortion, and the act of sleeping around on your significant other. The debates on whether or not contraceptives and birth control should be covered? That’s a religion-based feud. It’s amazing how much religion has taken over our lives- whether we’re religious or not, which brings me to my next point.
Why do religious folk insist on pushing their religion on everyone else? For the people screaming “God hates gays,” what ever happened to “Judge not, lest ye be judged,” and “Love thy neighbor as thyself.”? There doesn’t seem to be a lot of that going around at all, and it’s such a shame that nowadays people use religion to claim their supremacy over others. As much as religion runs this country, why is it in such an awful state, considering religion was considered to be a guide to learning to be a good, compassionate person? You’d think the United States, following religious values over the years, would be a wonderful, loving country. Instead, unfortunately, of drawing the “try to be a good person” aspect out of religion, people have used it to fuel the flames of hatred.
So today’s topic is supposed to be a response to one or more of my peers’ blog posts. I read through a couple and found one I thought was interesting. It was about how Vicky loves to do her laundry in front of some eye-candy. Her topic was basically doing awkward chores in front of attractive people. All I can say is, ‘Gosh that sucks.’ If I had lived/ever had to live in a dorm or apartment complex that had a single washroom, I would have a serious problem. I’d probably get over it, but I’d have a serious issue about it. Now, I don’t have to do laundry, or clean out the cat box, or do dishes with attractive people around, but if there is a really cute guy around, you’d better believe I’m going to fall or drop something. Talk about awkward…
Another post I chose to respond to was Charles’ “This Past Week… Hectic.” In this post, he talks about struggling with finances and schoolwork. I feel I understand exactly where this post comes from. Unfortunately for me, I realized I was going to college a little too late. Too late for scholarships, and almost too late for the grant that only paid for half of my tuition. Having to pay $2000 out of pocket, plus the costs of textbooks, I honestly am between a rock and a hard place. I need to work to pay for school, and I also need to do well in school to be better off in the long run. After reading his post and understanding his struggles, I felt his solution (cutting back to 12 credit hours during the school year and making the remaining up during the summer) was perfect (and almost unavoidable.) I believe it is such a good idea, that if I didn’t live in Nashville, I would probably follow his exact example.
So, last Monday, I finally got me some rain boots. No more wading through parking lots with water up to my knees! It’s just my feet being dry from here on out. Woot!
I really, really need to start going to class more. I think I went to all of my classes a total of two days this week. Out of those two days, one day, I only had one class. Is my life really so busy that I need to skip class for a simple break? I thought I had everything together, and I’m hoping that thought was accurate, because I really need to buckle down and start doing better about attending class. Maybe I can enjoy my free time during the summer and plan out my schedule better next semester.
College isn’t exactly going well for me. Like others have said, it isn’t easy, and trying to work to pay for college and help pay the bills at home certainly doesn’t help. Talk about cutting into study time. I’ve considered (against a ton of negativity) taking a break from college after this year, long enough to attempt to get my financial situation together so that I can, at least, come to college and can entirely focus on being a college student. We’ll just have to see.
I find this entirely relevant to this class.
Once again, I am waiting until the last minute to post my weekly blog post. It seems the more accustomed I get to the college experience, the less I have to write about online. I got my braces off, yay! I also got a new butthead bunny! But, that doesn’t really have anything to do with college, does it? I haven’t really gotten any better at managing my time.
Studying is key to passing any class. I made a 99 on a fill in the blank test, whoo! (One point was taken off for misspelling a word.) I learned that the second floor in the library is definitely the place to nap if you stayed up late writing a blog post, like I did. You can just curl up in one of their cozy chairs, plug in your phone, and doze off. (This may or may not be safe for your items, depending on what you are carrying.)
In order to maintain my fabulosity throughout the day, I’ve learned not to show up sweaty by; one, allowing myself enough time to walk leisurely to my next class, and two, shortcuts to getting there quickly. Keeping a cool drink in my hand helps, and staying inside doesn’t hurt, either. Little by little I am learning my way around this little city named MTSU.
I do realize that in a few weeks, the previous paragraph will be completely irrelevant, because it will be too cold for anyone to show up sweaty anywhere. Goodbye shorts, tank tops, and flip-flops, and hello sweaters, scarves, and cute little winter boots. Another thing I can’t wait for is driving in the snow. Yayyyy for salt on the ground, rust on my car, and having little mini-heart attacks crossing the bridges that “may ice in cold weather.” I just LOVE winter…
I’ve gotten to the point where college is no longer exciting. People ask me how it is, I honestly don’t know what to say. It has its’ ups and downs. Ups for social activities, and downs for exams and boring lectures. In this way, it is just like high school, except all of your classes are in different buildings across campus.
I have to be thankful, though. Instead of writing a 500-word essay on my college experience, I get to type it up, along with various other simple items that would be otherwise tedious written on paper.
One of the things I am not thankful for, is the lack of healthy food choices in the KUC dining hall. Since most of my classes are around this area, the new Student Union Building and McCallie’s are completely out of the way. I don’t have the time for that, various things have me running around campus all day. What on earth could make this any better? Chinese food? What about Pizza Hut? Or the lovely Chic FilA? Maybe, just maybe, I’d like to not gain 40lbs this year by eating the food at school. Maybe I can be like that Jared guy and just lose a whole bunch of weight on Subway sandwiches. I bet after I graduate, I’ll never eat at Subway again.
Aren’t my blog titles super creative? Hell, isn’t the name of my blog creative? Before I started college as a freshman, I used to be super creative. Now it just seems I don’t have the energy. How do people do it?
I decided to invest in a pair of rain boots. Nothing screams I hate Mondays like wading through a parking lot containing 3 or more inches of rainwater. Thankfully, my shoes weren’t ruined- I hear water and leather don’t exactly mix well. I would have to say leather retains water quite well… for THREE DAYS. That would be the time it took for my shoes to dry. I hate Mondays, but I really, really hate rainyMondays. There was absolutely nothing good about this Monday.
Despite my incredibly crappy Monday, Wednesday definitely made up for it. One thing I LOVE about college-when you’re done with your exam, you’re done with that class for the day.For me, being a quick test taker is blessing. In high school, it was really just a bother. Two hour class? Done with your test in 20 minutes? Okay, sit quietly and don’t disturb the others still taking the test. Not fun at all.
Wednesday was just great all the way around. Fire alarm goes off? Class dismissed. My kinda class. Nothing like an extra hour free time to brighten one’s spirits.
So, I feel, for me, this blog assignment has done its purpose- to connect the students. I enjoy coming to class based on my social relationships with multiple people in there. I even found a few friends by creeping others’ blogs.
Honestly, I find blogs an escape from my social life. Where I can post my inner thoughts, habits, and hobbies to a website of complete strangers and not be judged whatsoever. Starting off, it was really easy. I was doing the same thing I have been doing for years- posting my thoughts and experiences on a website for a bunch of strangers to view. However, most aren’t strangers anymore.
Starting this blog, I didn’t really think of it as a way to connect with other students, but reading my classmates’ blogs have led me to the realization that I’m reallynot alone.I’m not the only one struggling with the transition from high school to college. I’m not the only one who was thrown into a completely new environment. I’m not the only one whose expectations were far from the reality. That we’re all more alike than we realize, if not in music taste, styles, or hobbies, then at least experiencing something new.
I know, enough with the cheesy crap, right?
Anyway, some struggles I’ve had this week would definitely be overestimating myself. High school was, honestly, very easy. I didn’t really need to work to get where I was. Graduating with honors? Piece of cake. Here, I can leave an exam feeling entirely confident that I have made a 70 or a 95 and end up with a 50 or 75. Holy mother of God. A 50 on a test was entirely unheard of before college, now, I think I’ll be lucky to pass with a ‘C.’
A valuable lesson to be learned in college- Check your email! I learned the hard way to check emails. Getting up an hour earlier than you had to because your 8 o’clock class has been canceled can be quite frustrating. Or maybe waiting at the wrong classroom for 20 minutes because your teacher had a classroom change, and everyone seemed to know but you. How? They checked their emails.
For me, emails are not something I really worry about- no one emails me for important information. I usually get it verbally or in a text. I really think I should, because standing around your usual classroom wondering where everyone is can be a little confusing. Not fun at all.
Another lesson I’m learning? Not to procrastinate. Instead of using my free time wisely this week, I chose to hang out with friends and play video games. Here I am, tired as hell, on a Sunday night, trying to come up with 500 interesting and words for a blog post last minute. That’s not really fun, either. It gets better, this isn’t the only thing I set aside until the last minute, either. This will be a long night. Hindsight is 20/20, right?
I really do need to start writing things down. At orientation, they gave me a planner, hell, before that, I went and bought a planner. It gets carried around but never used. I write down birthdays, exam dates, days off, and it never gets looked at again. Here I am wondering why I have lousy time management. I never know what’s going on until it’s happening.
The transition to college is getting easier as the time goes by. Or rather, I’m not dreading it so much. I’m no longer stressed 24/7, although I should be studying a lot more than I do, and I really haven’t “gotten involved” around campus, really. I don’t really have any close friends here, yet, I don’t really like sports, so the games are no fun. I am, however, close to my family, so I’m usually rushing home to Nashville to see my best friend, my mother. I suppose that’s a little stupid, but at least I’m happy.
Overall, I was finding the transition to college very intimidating and difficult, but I’m definitely glad it’s getting easier. I’ve even made a few friends, and having familiar faces in a sea of 27,000 students is always comforting, especially out of class. The first week here I was sure I wouldn’t meet anyone or really ever make friends, so it’s such a relief to know at least a few people here. I’m sure getting involved on campus would help, as everyone’s said, but I’ll worry about that later.
Making friends is harder than I thought. I casually speak to people, but I never really end up knowing anyone seriously. I guess this is where “getting involved” is supposed to come in, but I never seem to be able to find the time. This is really stressful. I know I can do it, that’s not the problem, but I seem to be having issues coping with everything and all the new challenges. That goes double for any kind of social interaction.
In my University Seminar class, we were split into groups and assigned a project- to wander around campus and find out about each building on the list (this includes taking pictures.) I don’t know if I should be excited for a project, concerned that we won’t do well, or worried that no one likes me. I can’t say I’m looking forward to trying to manage more things in my already crowded schedule, and I certainly don’t want to be a bother to anyone else. This all just seems more stressful than it’s worth.
I was really only in class 3 days this week, with me missing Friday due to a car accident on Thursday, so I’m not entirely sure what to write about. I already feel ridiculously behind, and I’m already terrified of failing. So far, I’m not finding college a very welcoming or pleasant experience.
Last week in class, we went over a short reading titled Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave.” In short, this story was about a man (Socrates) conversing with another man (Glaucon) about victims in chains. To start, he painted a picture of people chained to a cave, stuck in a situation where they could only see shadows their entire life. Then, all of a sudden, they were free. Free to wander and look around, and see objects for what they really were- but it wasn’t easy. Seeing pure light, recognizing that what they had been seeing their entire life was a mere shadow of a tangible object, and moving around in general were things the prisoners seemed to have issues coping with.
In regards to Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave,” overall, I am definitely in chains/being liberated. I am struggling with plenty of things, as stated above, time management, and my social skills, but also the fear of failing and lack of the motivation to prevent it. Change isn’t something that comes easy to me, and I am having trouble realizing that everything I once knew means little now. It’s a little scary.
Socially, I am definitely still in chains. At the conclusion of my second week of classes, I have only made one friend, and even then, we’re not really close.
Intellectually, I am liberated and moderately adapting to all of the changes and new responsibility, but I still face issues every now and then. One of my issues in high school was being afraid to reach out for help, and I’m definitely keeping a mental note to seek help when I need it, if not for just the sake of learning, but also I have so much to lose at this point.
Well, to start this blog off, I’m going to have to say that overall, college is very overwhelming. I couldn’t ever seem to understand why people thought college was such an issue- I always thought of it as an extension of high school… it’s not.
They really weren’t kidding when they said your education is entirely up to you.
I’ve noticed that it’s not that the professors don’t care, they want you to graduate and do well in life, but they also want you to be responsible and learn to do things for yourself. There isn’t anyone reminding me to get to class on time, there isn’t anyone constantly telling me that I need to check my email and D2L to make sure I’m caught up on assignments and am informed and ready for next class. There isn’t any of that. They tell you once, and it’s your responsibility to keep up with that information from that point on. One of the things that make this new experience so difficult, is I was practically handed everything in high school. Spoiled, if you will. Syllabus, homework, notes, all handed to me. Not here. College is definitely a completely different experience, and my suggestion would not be to take it lightly.
Something I am definitely needing to work on is time management. Now that I’ve been given a truckload more of extra responsibility, I feel managing time responsibly is the first step to success here. For students juggling work, studying, working out, and their social lives, there doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day. What’s worse is I can’t even seem to find the time to plan my day out. To be honest, I haven’t really found a solution to that yet, but as soon as I figure that out, I’ll make sure to let you know.
Another thing that’s difficult for me, personally, is going from being a well-liked senior in high school to just another face in college. I worked hard, I had friends, and me, being the idiot I am, seemed to think this would all transition to college with me. My first day, I was so shocked that I didn’t know anyone. Thinking back on it now, I should have known, on a campus of 27 thousand students, that I probably wouldn’t know anyone. It was utterly disappointing, I mean, it’s not like making friends was incredibly easy for me. As a person who doesn’t like change, you can imagine my transition from high school to college was quite the joyride.
I know, this blog post hasn’t been entirely positive, but there are good things as well. The MTSU community is just that- a community. If you ever manage to get any free time, there are plenty of things to do. On my first day, during my four hour break, I walked around campus. I noticed the amazing library (with the even more amazing Starbucks inside), the new Student Union Building, the dining halls, some computer labs, and really, just the overall beauty of the campus (you know, the parts that aren’t under construction.) The best part of all of this? I still haven’t seen it all. I hear the REC Center is awesome, and I imagine that would be a great way to kill time.
There have been pros and cons to my first week of this entirely new experience, but all I can do is try my best and hopefully find tips and tricks to further improve the quality of my college experience.