2010ers: How has your first year of college been?

Emmeline · April 24, 2007, 6:49pm

Describe.

Did you feel prepared after taking all of those AP classes?
Is your GPA drastically different from what it was in high school?
Are you still working at the same pace?
Are you still highly involved in ECs?
What things have changed between high school and college?
Is college as difficult as you thought it would be?
What are some surprises?

Note how much of an overachiever you were in high school and where you are now.

Add any other information.

Also, feel free to brag about your accomplishments this year.

The_Brown_Bomber · April 24, 2007, 7:54pm

Did you feel prepared after taking all of those AP classes? Yes, very much so
Is your GPA drastically different from what it was in high school? Yes, its alot higher actually
Are you still working at the same pace? No Im working alot more
Are you still highly involved in ECs? Not officially, but I do play soccer and basketball every day
What things have changed between high school and college? more independence and choices
Is college as difficult as you thought it would be? yes
What are some surprises? In terms of workload, not alot, but I go to Virginia Tech, so obviously we’ve had some surprises not related to my transition

I was a terrible underachiever in high school (3.0 GPA 1400 SAT), but I have a 3.8 for the year (weve already gotten our grades due to the unfortunate situation)

applebell · April 24, 2007, 8:18pm

Emmeline, what are you answers to the questions? :)

I can’t answer because I haven’t entered college yet.

saketm · April 24, 2007, 8:22pm

Did you feel prepared after taking all of those AP classes? I didn’t take APs in India
Is your GPA drastically different from what it was in high school? Yes, Grade deflation has brought me back to earth.
Are you still working at the same pace? No, Coping with work is a little harder because of all my ECs. I’m learning to cope up though.
Are you still highly involved in ECs? Yes, Even more than I was in high school
What things have changed between high school and college? You’re away from home. The food sucks. You have new friends.
Is college as difficult as you thought it would be? YES

Weskid · April 24, 2007, 8:48pm

I was an overachiver in highschool, but not a perfectionist.

Did you feel prepared after taking all of those AP classes? I didn’t take that many APs, because my school didn’t offer many. HOWEVER, my school didn’t offer any because they didn’t belive in APs, not because it was a bad school, and I have felt very prepaired by highschool for college.

Is your GPA drastically different from what it was in high school? Nope. A little lower, but still in the same general range.

Are you still working at the same pace? MUCH faster and more in-depth pace.

Are you still highly involved in ECs? Not as many, but the ones I’m involved in I’m very involved in (ie. dance in at least one show each semester, am running for a high level position in the society I joined, etc.)

What things have changed between high school and college? Much more independance. I’ve come to have an even firmer sense of who I am, and what y beliefs on some issues are (while having other beliefs challenge in new ways)

Is college as difficult as you thought it would be? It’s about as difficult as I genreally thought it would be. I mean, there were days before I came where I was convined that college was going to be the hardest thing ever and I would fail, but those were my more panicked moments ;)

What are some surprises? I’ve gotten into a serious realtionship, and joined a greek! (The least typical greek ever, to be sure, but still, a greek). Neither of those I expected!

willmingtonwave · April 24, 2007, 8:58pm

Did you feel prepared after taking all of those AP classes?
No
Is your GPA drastically different from what it was in high school?
Lower
Are you still working at the same pace?
A lot more
Are you still highly involved in ECs?
yes
What things have changed between high school and college?
unfortunately nothing
Is college as difficult as you thought it would be?
more difficult
What are some surprises?
how fast the novelty wore off and it just became what HS is, a redundant schedule that has no end.

Golden_Bear · April 24, 2007, 9:16pm

Did you feel prepared after taking all of those AP classes?
Yes.

Is your GPA drastically different from what it was in high school?
Higher, I slacked in grade deflation HS.

Are you still working at the same pace?
I’m working less.

Are you still highly involved in ECs?
I never cared for ECs.

What things have changed between high school and college?
Classes are easier since there is less grind work and I’m usually interested in my classes unlike HS.

Is college as difficult as you thought it would be?
No, I think college is easier than my HS.

What are some surprises?
Some of my college classes are a lot easier than HS ones. Maybe it was just my HS.

bruinboy · April 24, 2007, 9:44pm

Did you feel prepared after taking all of those AP classes?
Not really. AP classes were much easier than college classes
Is your GPA drastically different from what it was in high school?
GPA is drastically higher, but i was a SEVERE underachiever in high school
Are you still working at the same pace?
Working much harder
Are you still highly involved in ECs?
At the beginning of the year, i just did fun EC’s (clubs, sports, etc.) Now im doing research and volunteering (both are still fun but more academic)
What things have changed between high school and college?
Much more independence, greater responsibility, less time to just do nothing, less time watching TV, most of my wasted time is due to youtube and other internet things, harder classes, less (close) friends, much more focused-academically
Is college as difficult as you thought it would be?
yeah its a little harder than I thought, but i think im used to it after two quarters
What are some surprises?
Im not as interested in drinking/partying as I thought I might be. Found out college can be fun and academic at the same time. Also, i went to a really small, tight-knit high school but now im at a HUGE university and its kinda lonely sometimes.

mattd1688 · April 24, 2007, 10:02pm

Did you feel prepared after taking all of those AP classes? Yes, the independent study ones got me through 1/5 of my classes w/o having to learn much new stuff.
Is your GPA drastically different from what it was in high school? Dropped slightly, philosophy course and first term slacking.
Are you still working at the same pace? Sometimes, if I get in the mood I will get a book from the library and attempt it (Fourier Analysis, topological graph theory), but for my classes, I try hard in philosophy and ECE class on signals, just cz of the fourier series, but on the other ones, I just get by.
Are you still highly involved in ECs? If this counts working then I have 10-12 hr days of class then work, then homework. I am in 2 clubs that I am very involved in.
What things have changed between high school and college? I dont have to find a parking spot or worry about parents.
Is college as difficult as you thought it would be? I never thought of the college I am at now, I only thought about the work load at other ones that I could not afford.
What are some surprises? There are people who are never in there room (me) and there are some who are always in their room. The TA’s are cool, and the atmosphere is better.

phobos · April 24, 2007, 10:33pm

AP prep? 
for the most part APs were not nearly has hard compared to what i’ve done in my first semester…the material is much more in depth, although the tests aren’t necessarily harder.

GPA change?
after first semester…no, but i’m banking on that to change this semester (i expect to get at least one B).

Working at the same pace? 
i’m working much more, but…well, see last question…

ECs? 
not really…though i’m involved with campus radio as a fairly involved DJ. otherwise, no.

High school vs. Collge? 
by conscious effort, i’ve definitely become more social and more comfortable with myself. that’s not to say i’m exuding confidence, but compared to HS, definitely more confident. but i can still be awkward, so i’m still working on that…

Is college as difficult as you thought?
just about…i can’t quantify exactly how much harder i thought it was going to be, but more or less…i worked hard in high school, and i’m still working hard in college…i honestly have a hard time telling the difference in the amount of work i’ve done because of…see next question:

Surprises?
i set kind of a high academic expectation and thought i would have been fine with a 3.5 first semester…well, i ended up getting a 4.0. despite all the work, i’ve had more fun and more freetime than i thought i would. leaving high school, i also didn’t think i would go to parties in college, but now i go every once in a while. they’re more fun than you think, if you enjoy meeting new people. i’ve also done things academically, artistically, and socially that i never thought i would…i couldn’t explain it in few enough words. the novelty of independence has sort of worn off on me, but i still enjoy it and appreciate it.

be_a_star · April 24, 2007, 10:43pm

Did you feel prepared after taking all of those AP classes? I took four AP classes in HS, none of which gave me any info to use in college, and none of which helped me be a better student. But they did get me out of a couple gen-eds.

Is your GPA drastically different from what it was in high school? It’s better than my senior yr, and worse than the other three. I had a 3.958 last semester, and had a 3.78 at midterms this semester.

Are you still working at the same pace? I didn’t have a job before, but I’m 1600 miles away anyway, so no.

Are you still highly involved in ECs? Yes. I’m in Alpha Chi Omega (VP Intellectual development), Phi Eta Sigma, Alpha Psi Omega, Spectrum (social chair last semester) and am currently in a professional musical and a play at school.

What things have changed between high school and college? Friends, location, weight (unfortunately, I got the freshman 15…), my fear of tornados has slightly decreased, and I think my overall mentality is less “over-achiever.”

Is college as difficult as you thought it would be? No. But my acting classes are way more difficult.

What are some surprises? How easily I’ve been able to make friends and talk to people, getting into the greek system (minus the parties), the fact that I don’t actually hate OK, meeting Kelli O’Hara in the music school basement while waiting out a tornado, getting my first lead, getting cast in my first professional (paid) show, that I’m really not that different from how I was at home. I’ve also decided that I absolutely love my school. :)

Note how much of an overachiever you were in high school and where you are now. I was a major overachiever until my senior year, when I got really bad senioritis. I’m still an overachiever, and get bummed by B’s, but it’s not as horribly bad as before.

Add any other information. This year has gone by soooo fast. I can’t believe it’s over in a week. That’s insane, and scary. And this summer I will be completely on my own, without the safety of a college campus and parents, which is also scary. But I’m pleased to say that I have completely held up to my morals this year, and have not done any drinking, smoking, drugs, or anything else bad like that - I think my parents figured I would at some point…

Also, feel free to brag about your accomplishments this year. I made the President’s honor roll (and I already talked about my theatre accomplishments).

GoldShadow · April 24, 2007, 11:26pm

Did you feel prepared after taking all of those AP classes?
They definitely gave me a good basis: chem, bio, calc, specifically. However, their college counterparts are without a doubt much harder and go into much more depth.

Is your GPA drastically different from what it was in high school?
Yes… it’s much higher. Probably because I try harder now than I did in high school. My final GPA in HS was like 3.4ish. Now in college, I got a 4.0 first semester. I think I’m going to get a B in history this semester though, so while it won’t be a 4.0 it should be close this semester.

Are you still working at the same pace?
I definitely have a lot more work to do in much less time. So the pace has sped up.

Are you still highly involved in ECs?
Not really, I don’t have much time. I started out the year involved in some, but then it dwindled. Now that I know what to expect in terms of time, I plan to get involved again starting this summer/next semester. I do play intramural flag football and soccer but I’m not sure how much those count as ECs.

What things have changed between high school and college?
A lot more work is covered in less time. However, there is a lot of free time to do the work in. My time management skills have improved because I’ve been forced to adjust to the schedule.

Is college as difficult as you thought it would be?
Almost… it’s a little easier actually. I definitely have to work harder for As, but my work pays off.

What are some surprises?
None really. I was surprised at how much some classes/grades have to be curved (the test averages in classes are very low).

Note how much of an overachiever you were in high school and where you are now.
Though I didn’t try as hard as I could have until like junior year, I was a very big overachiever. Now, those tendencies have been brought out even more. Add to that the fact that I’m a perfectionist, I work damn hard to maintain my status as the best there is. And I’m succeeding at it.

Add any other information.

Also, feel free to brag about your accomplishments this year.
Well I managed to get a 4.0 first semester, and if it weren’t for damn history I’d do the same this semester! Anyway, I’m also happy that I’ve consistently been one of the top few scorers on exams in most of my several-hundred-student lecture classes. Still, I’m surprised that there are more smart people here than I first thought. Since I’m at my state school I didn’t think there would be as many, but the honors program here is quite competitive; a lot of the kids in it are surely ones that must have turned down ivy and top-25 acceptances, probably due to cost. At least it keeps me on my toes!

Cards4Life · April 25, 2007, 12:04am

Did you feel prepared after taking all of those AP classes? I didn’t take that many, but the ones I did helped quite a bit. Not to mention that they eliminated an entire semester of college (16 credits)
Is your GPA drastically different from what it was in high school? Same number, but a 3.7 college is way different than a 3.7 high school. Courses are more demanding but I’m learning more as well.
Are you still working at the same pace? (reads as “do you procrastinate as much?”) Yes. I study a bit every night but not what I should be doing. Learned that the hard way first semester.
Are you still highly involved in ECs? Yes. Different ECs obviously, but still involved. Mainly Ski & Snowboard Club/Alpine Race Team, Collegiate FFA, Student Alumni, multiple intramurals, several hours of tossing a softball around, working at the Rec, internship
What things have changed between high school and college? Sleeping pattern, doing my own laundry, walking to class…nothin special
Is college as difficult as you thought it would be? Yeah, I guess.
What are some surprises? It’s really–and I mean REALLY–easy to hit the snooze button too many times without someone there telling you to go to class; not really a surprise, just something that happens. Living in a dorm sucked–if you enjoy living in a hotel with restrictions, go for it. Glad to be in an apartment next year.

frostburg2010 · April 25, 2007, 12:10am

Did you feel prepared after taking all of those AP classes? I didn’t take any APs, but I was still prepared.

Is your GPA drastically different from what it was in high school? Yeah, it’s higher!

Are you still working at the same pace? This week I have so much stuff to get done, so I’m working a bit harder. But I did the bare minimum is HS, so I’d say I’m working harder in general.

Are you still highly involved in ECs? Yes, I still write for the newspaper.

What things have changed between high school and college? More independence, see more of my friends (Kids at my HS came from the surrounding 3 counties as well as the county the school is in, so the distance made Saturday movies a little tough, especially before anyone had thier license), and more freedom to do the little things my own way.

Is college as difficult as you thought it would be? It’s about what I expected actually, and I expect it to be tougher when I start the classes for my major.

What are some surprises? I actually want to go the extra mile for a better grade.

Note how much of an overachiever you were in high school and where you are now. I was average with a bit of slacker on the side. Now grades are important to me, but not so important that I don’t enjoy the non-academic highlights of college.

Add any other information…

Also, feel free to brag about your accomplishments this year. I’m in Phi Eta Sigma, the Freshman Scholastic Honor Society. It’s based on 1st semester GPA, which was a 3.625 in my case :)

shoebox10 · April 25, 2007, 12:13am

Did you feel prepared after taking all of those AP classes?
~ YES! Also, much more prepared due to being a NoVa student

Is your GPA drastically different from what it was in high school?
~Yes, i’m an engineer. But i’m doing sooo much more work for the grades

Are you still working at the same pace?
~No. During high school, I never stayed up past 2am doing work. Now, 2am is bedtime, and I pullall-nighters multiple times a week.

Are you still highly involved in ECs?
~Less than I was in high school, but i’m in SGA which is a huge commitment, as well as Society of Women Engineers.

What things have changed between high school and college?
~New friends, new responsiblities, and I have a much higher self-esteem and confidence (doesn’t say much, because I already had both through the roof before college), better relationship with my parents, and i’m neater (sort of).

Is college as difficult as you thought it would be?
~No. It’s worse. It’s easier to get work done because I have less responsibilities other than feeding/bathing/clothing myself, but the work is much harder and grades are more dependent on a few things.

What are some surprises?
~My roommate, who I knew from high school, went nuts on me. Ended up resigning, but it was a looonnggg second semester up until this point, and 4 weeks of hell of her depression post-spring break. Also, I lost the freshman 15, even though food here is abundant AND super-good

Note how much of an overachiever you were in high school and where you are now. 
~I wasn’t an overachiever in high school, other than I had a good life (good grades, not the best, but got me into top engineering schools, had a wonderful boyfriend, lots of good, close friends, every teacher loved me, good family relations, ect). That good life has lost some of its qualities, but i’m still happy and living well.

Add any other information.
~I’m going to write a book called “Your First Year Could Be Worse”. I go to VT, so between the shooter on the first day of classes, to my roommate going crazy, to the stresses of engineering, to last week’s tragedies, I could make millions off of it.

Also, feel free to brag about your accomplishments this year.
~I’ve got above a 3.0 in engineering. I survived Virginia Tech’s first year weed-out. I made it out alive. There’s nothing bigger than those three accomplishments.

cowgirlatheart · April 25, 2007, 4:04am

Did you feel prepared after taking all of those AP classes?
I took IB, and yeah, it helped. Got a lot of credit from it but also took some essay-heavy courses that wouldn’t have been possible to do as well as I did in without IB. I’m also proud of helping some people with chem labs even though I’m going for a BA (in something like Poli Sci, Philosophy, IR, or Econ) - my 7 in Chem HL so didn’t go to waste. :)

Is your GPA drastically different from what it was in high school?
Not really. In terms of percentage, it’s lower, but the grade ranges are lower accordingly. I have an A-/A average, while I had straight As in high school.

Are you still working at the same pace?
Sort of. There are courses where I’m doing really well (ex. Econ), and others where I wish I had done things differently (ex. writing Poli papers the night before). I still did respectably well, but next year I’m going to step it up.

Are you still highly involved in ECs?
Involved - yes. Highly - no. I narrowed my list down a bit. I’m planning on doing more next year though.

What things have changed between high school and college?
Biggest difference is the group of people I hang out with. I went from a sheltered group of french immersion IB kids to your typical college dorm. It was a weird adjustment, but I lived and actually made some good friends.

Is college as difficult as you thought it would be?
Difficult as I thought it would be, not really. More work than I thought it would be, yes.

What are some surprises?
How little English my econ TA’s can speak and get away with teaching a class. Seriously. I also ended up really disliking having a roomate… turns out I need some space without Korean pop music. I mean, HEADPHONES!

Note how much of an overachiever you were in high school and where you are now.
If this is any clue, I won “Most Outstanding Grade 12 Student” in my graduating class of 650 people.

Also, feel free to brag about your accomplishments this year.
Got an A+ in econ, got the highest mark on an essay in my Arts One seminar (on the in class essay on Hobbes at that), vastly improved my singing by joining choir, and directed the band in my residence musical. It’s been fun.

thedoverdemon · April 25, 2007, 6:34am

Did you feel prepared after taking all of those AP classes? I never took any AP or IB classes. In other words, I did normal high school with no honors classes or anything either.

Is your GPA drastically different from what it was in high school? Not drastically different, but different. I go to UBC as well, like cowgirlatheart, and am also in the Arts One program, so I can relate. The percentages are different, but grade-wise, I’m doing well, but maybe slightly less well than in high school, although that’s clearly to be expected. I’m averaging a solid A- or so right now.

Are you still working at the same pace? I’m working a lot harder, that’s for sure. More independent study, and all too many late or all nighters for papers.

Are you still highly involved in ECs? Not at all. I auditioned for a few plays and have gone to a few meetings for various clubs, but none with much dedication. I hope to be more involved next year, as I focused more on academics this year.

What things have changed between high school and college? I have to work a lot harder, and learning is way more independent. But I like it that way and I find it very rewarding. I miss small class sizes in large first-year classes. People are more mature in one sense, but in another sense, not all that different from high school. People are more intelligent in general.

Is college as difficult as you thought it would be? Not necessarily in terms of difficulty. I have to work harder, but then I again, I didn’t have many well thought out expectations in the first place.

What are some surprises? How impersonal large classes are, the tough grading standards (sometimes inconsistent too), and irresponsible or lazy TAs.

Note how much of an overachiever you were in high school and where you are now. I don’t think I was an overachiever in high school, but I did decently. I’ve done well in general this year, and am happy with my A+ in philosophy, as well as my best grade on an Arts One essay (for Latour, arguably the hardest author of the year). I did well on Hobbes too.

CH121S · April 25, 2007, 8:55am

Did you feel prepared after taking all of those AP classes?
I didnt take any AP classes, but I didnt find this year too challenging
Is your GPA drastically different from what it was in high school?
It differed, but in a good way, I had about a 3.4-3.5 in high school and now im closer to a 3.6 (not much of a diff.)

Are you still working at the same pace?
Im definately working harder than high school

Are you still highly involved in ECs?
Im am now involved with ECs but in high school I wasnt

What things have changed between high school and college?
I’d say Im much more outgoing and Im not slacking off like I did in high school (at least as much) and Im doing a whole lot more extra things than in high school.

Is college as difficult as you thought it would be?
Id say its at about the level I believed it would be.

What are some surprises?
Im not sure, i guess I was surprised by how much better college is than high school. I mean I thought it would be better from the get go, but its wayyyy better ;).

namaste · April 25, 2007, 5:54pm

Is your GPA drastically different from what it was in high school?

It’s the same (unweighted)

Are you still working at the same pace?

Fall and winter quarter yes, this quarter is chill and am working less than I have in years!

Are you still highly involved in ECs?

Yes, and will continue to be. First year you dont get leadership positions, but by 3rd year they are highly attainable

What things have changed between high school and college?

Private

Is college as difficult as you thought it would be?

Maybe easier? so far…

What are some surprises?

Like bruinboy I’m partying less than I thought. in HS i partied a good amount. here i rarely do… the people i hang out with isnt so into drinking and thats fine by me. also im just busy out and about doing stuff, b eing active in sober ways.

Note how much of an overachiever you were in high school and where you are now.

huge overacheiever in HS, now i dont like that term. i’m an ACHIEVER. not over. i dont do things for the extra bullet on my resume, i do it because i want to.

quid pro quo… where are your answers?

Emmeline · April 25, 2007, 10:17pm

Did you feel prepared after taking all of those AP classes?

No. My AP classes were completely different from the classes I’m taking now. I took a few AP history and English classes in high school. It was just glorified busy work. We were so focused on covering as much material as possible that we did not go into much depth. If anything, it helped my work ethic but not necessarily the more important things such as study skills.

Is your GPA drastically different from what it was in high school?

Hmm… not drastically. My high school had severe grade inflation. I think my GPA is right where it should be based upon the amount of effort I’ve put into it.

Are you still working at the same pace?

No. I think I overworked myself in high school and put myself through a lot more crap than I needed to. I am more balanced now and working a lot smarter.

Are you still highly involved in ECs?

I’m still involved. I’m trying to find a few good ECs. I’m still shopping around. For the ones that I am involved in, yes I am pursuing it beyond what is normal.

What things have changed between high school and college?

Less busywork. More important to actually learn and understand the material than just rote memorization and plowing through work.

Is college as difficult as you thought it would be?

No. This is not to say it’s easy… it’s manageable. I don’t really feel overwhelmed (OK maybe I will feel a little bit more stressed around exams time). I have so much time… It only feels difficult when you’re balancing/juggling a job, schoolwork/classes, and ECs. I’m getting used to it though and I feel I have a better grasp on my priorities than I did at the beginning of the year.

What are some surprises?

Despite how bad my high school was, I feel that I managed my first year just fine and that everything worked out in the end. I’m surprised that my school isn’t filled with nerds who just study all day, based upon the average stats of the incoming freshmen.

Note how much of an overachiever you were in high school and where you are now.

I was an overachiever in high school… I think I just had a great work ethic and knew how to plow through BS work. Right now, I’ve adjusted my approach to studying, work, reading, and other things. I’m still working hard in organizations and schoolwork… I can’t call myself an overachiever yet.

Also, feel free to brag about your accomplishments this year.

I got into a selective summer program.

2010ers: How has your first year of college been?

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