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

College Life
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<p>Did you feel prepared after taking all of those AP classes? YES. I ended up getting 40 credits for the 10 APs I took in High school. Also, my AP English classes and AP US History prepared me very well for writing papers.
Is your GPA drastically different from what it was in high school? About the same.
Are you still working at the same pace? No, I work in the cafeteria at school part time.
Are you still highly involved in ECs? Im involved less now. But Im planning on joining more this coming fall, and will have a leadership position with Students for Barack Obama.
What things have changed between high school and college? HS friends have matured, frivolous friendships have ended, strong friendships have remained, more independent, I now know who I am, I now know what I want in life, and how to accomplish it. etc…
Is college as difficult as you thought it would be? Slightly easier… but my classes in HS prepared me well.
What are some surprises? My gay roommate and girlfriend ended up making out “for practice”. I didnt know how to react, and im still confused. (this happened in January).</p>

<p>Note how much of an overachiever you were in high school and where you are now. I was one of those smart slackers… im still smart, now theres now busy work to slack on though.</p>

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<p>To the above poster: assuming both you and your roommate are guys, that wasn’t “practice”. He’s not gay.</p>

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<p>i hate to laugh at you 787, but that’s probably one of the funniest things i’ve ever heard in my life…it’s like out of a movie or something.</p>

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<p>hahaha believe me he’s gay. I got sexiled twice when he was with some guy… he left a tie on the door knob and all I could hear was loud Cascada music.</p>

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<p>…Don’t know how to place that one chi. You live a truly interesting lifestyle. </p>

<p>More surveys please!</p>

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<p>Did you feel prepared after taking all of those AP classes? Meh…kinda, only thing they actually did was give me sophomore status, i dont remember anything i learned though.
Is your GPA drastically different from what it was in high school? its unweighted now and our gpa system was invented by crack heads
Are you still working at the same pace? no i watch more tv now and d/l more porn
Are you still highly involved in ECs? im more involved actually b/c my nazi parents cant control how involved i get
What things have changed between high school and college? more openly gay people, i get to binge on american type food, i have a free gym next door, and there are no more gay ass narks patroling the halls.
Is college as difficult as you thought it would be? nah, except psychology was a ***** than i thought
What are some surprises? its harder to get into parties than i thought. you will tell yourself, “Im never going to drinkkkk aggggaaain!!!”, but oh believe me you will… oh yea and i havent gotten laid yet. roomate was more unfriendlier than i thought. and i think i MIGHT be gay.</p>

<p>Also, feel free to brag about your accomplishments this year. i got an A in econ, if possible try to get an iranian born professor b/c all they’ll do is talk about how good thier life was before the revolution (seriously)</p>

<p>oh yea and in regards to two posts above: ROFL!!! (whats wrong with cascada?)</p>

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<p>lol. I liked that response. :)</p>

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<p>Did you feel prepared after taking all of those AP classes?
No
Is your GPA drastically different from what it was in high school?
Not drastic. Almost the same.
Are you still working at the same pace?
Unfortunately.
Are you still highly involved in ECs?
No
What things have changed between high school and college?
MY MANAGEMENT WITH MONEY.
Is college as difficult as you thought it would be?
No
What are some surprises?
Its almost like high school in a way.</p>

<p>Its been fun though.</p>

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<p>Did you feel prepared after taking all of those AP classes?
Yes. A few of my AP classes knocked off a good number of GE’s. For major requirements, I didn’t have too hard of a time transitioning.</p>

<p>Is your GPA drastically different from what it was in high school?
Yes. It’s better now…surprisingly. I’m not sure what I’m doing different. =P</p>

<p>Are you still working at the same pace?
Pretty much. Maybe I’m studying a little harder</p>

<p>Are you still highly involved in ECs?
Not really. I will be next year if I go through what I have planned.</p>

<p>What things have changed between high school and college?
Waking up myself every morning and succeeding. Yay!</p>

<p>Is college as difficult as you thought it would be?
For hard classes, yes.</p>

<p>What are some surprises?
Look above. </p>

<p>Note how much of an overachiever you were in high school and where you are now.
I wasn’t really an overachiever. I don’t think I am one now either but moved a little closer to the overachiever section</p>

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<p>Did you feel prepared after taking all of those AP classes?
I felt prepared for the classes after the ones I skipped because I had AP credits, yes. That said, AP classes are not even close to college classes in form or anything.</p>

<p>Is your GPA drastically different from what it was in high school?
Yes. About a 3.8 unweighted in HS and about a 3.5 in college. I’m in engineering at VT though, so year one is supposed to see a pretty big drop. I guess it isn’t THAT drastic, but for someone who’s used to being surprised to see a B being happy to get a B, it’s different.</p>

<p>Are you still working at the same pace?
Hahahaha. no. Much, much more work. I spend more time doing the homework for one class than I spent in highschool doing all homework.</p>

<p>Are you still highly involved in ECs?
Yeah, still pretty involved. Maybe a little more so.</p>

<p>What things have changed between high school and college?
It’s a cliche but it’d be easier to say what didn’t change. More freedom, more work, more fun, more responsibility, less guidance, different friends, different activities.</p>

<p>Is college as difficult as you thought it would be?
It’s about on par with what I thought it would be. I expected it to be hard.</p>

<p>What are some surprises?
Curves. They’re great.</p>

<p>Note how much of an overachiever you were in high school and where you are now.
Wasn’t much of one at either point. I never tried much in high school because I didn’t have to, and my grades reflected that; what I mean is they could have been higher, I just wasn’t motivated. Now in college I do work hard, because I have to, but I wouldn’t say I’m overachieving.</p>

<p>Add any other information.
College football is greater than any other thing on earth. </p>

<p>Also, feel free to brag about your accomplishments this year.
Hungover, on two hours of sleep, 96 on my physics final to bring my grade from a C+ to an A. Gotta love the curve.</p>

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<p>Post some more questions to if anyone feels like surveying the Class of 2010 demographic on College Confidential. Or, be annoying and ■■■■■-like so we can have some more entertainment. I expect some sarcastic remarks, innuendo-laden paragraphs, and so forth that describe the excitement involving your first-year of college. Continue.</p>

<p>Hell, even rant about your experience or post random crap while in the trance of an alcoholic stupor. Anything works really.</p>

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<p>–Did you feel prepared after taking all of those AP classes? </p>

<p>Uh, sure?</p>

<p>–Is your GPA drastically different from what it was in high school? </p>

<p>Oh yeah. At least a full point lower, I’d say.</p>

<p>–Are you still working at the same pace? </p>

<p>Hmm, I can’t tell. Maybe a little faster or slower… Dunno.</p>

<p>–Are you still highly involved in ECs? </p>

<p>Basically.</p>

<p>–What things have changed between high school and college?</p>

<p>Drug use. (Alcohol is a drug too, you know…)</p>

<p>–Is college as difficult as you thought it would be? </p>

<p>No. </p>

<p>–What are some surprises? </p>

<p>I am actually good at beirut. And alot of other drinking games.</p>

<p>–Note how much of an overachiever you were in high school and where you are now.</p>

<p>Never really “overachieved”… high school was just really easy, I guess. Meh. I still work about the same.</p>

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<p>And one more gentle bump -</p>

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<p>Did you feel prepared after taking all of those AP classes?
I didn’t get much credit, so no, but taking challenging classes was a good thing, so yes.</p>

<p>Is your GPA drastically different from what it was in high school?
Ehh, yea, but that’s because…</p>

<p>Are you still working at the same pace?
No. Yes. maybe? I’m working hard, and I’m sure at the same pace, or even a more intense pace, but I’m not stressing myself out about grades as much. As a result, my grades have gone down, even though I am working, but I’m much happier with the whole situation.</p>

<p>Are you still highly involved in ECs?
No-- I was too overloaded in high school. I’ve put EC’s in a back corner in a kind of “I’m just doing this for fun” attitude and I spend more time watching movies and talking to friends.</p>

<p>What things have changed between high school and college?
My attitude on life, basically. In high school I was alone and unhappy and working way too hard, in college I’ve learned how to balance everything, meet amazing people, and enjoy life.</p>

<p>Is college as difficult as you thought it would be?
No.</p>

<p>What are some surprises?
Oh, what your friends will say when they are drunk…</p>

<p>Note how much of an overachiever you were in high school and where you are now
I think I tried to address that… in high school I was all about overachieving, and I realized that I could have been happier if I backed off a little bit. Even if I didn’t get into the same school, I would have gone to a different school, had similar experiences, and would have been HAPPY.</p>

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<p>Describe. </p>

<p>Did you feel prepared after taking all of those AP classes?<br>
Yep. My bio was a breeze in college after taking AP bio. It was nice having extra credits to register for classes earlier and not having to worry about general ed classes. Next semester I might change my major from prenursing to prebusiness and Russian. It’s pretty cool b/c even though I’m changing, my APs still fulfill requirements. Boo ya.</p>

<p>Is your GPA drastically different from what it was in high school?<br>
Eh. I’m more motivated in college, but it hasn’t changed drastically. 3.8ish-.9 in HS to 4.0 after 31 credits in college. (woot!)</p>

<p>Are you still working at the same pace?<br>
Yes. Some of my classmates complain about the pace and say its way faster than HS. But honestly, when they say that, I have to wonder what in the world they did in HS… It’s not bad.</p>

<p>Are you still highly involved in ECs?<br>
was moderately involved in HS. Now I belong to two clubs, volunteer regularly at two-three places (other places sporadically), hold down a job (24 hours a week, started second semester). I think, though, what really matters is your depth of involvment. For one of my clubs, I’m the secretary… I’ve helped organize an awarness dance, participated in conferences, etc. etc. In the end, the # of activities you do don’t matter, as long as you have done something worthwhile enough to write about on a resume/application.</p>

<p>What things have changed between high school and college?<br>
Self-esteem. lol. But seriously, in HS, everyone has to go… and then suddenly you go to a school where everyone is just as smart as you. What’s worse-- they probably have some amazing talent as well. So, I’ve kinda had to take “smart” out of my personal identity. But it has also made me grow and develop myself in other ways. It’s all good.</p>

<p>Is college as difficult as you thought it would be?
Sometimes. In high school, I got pretty much consistent grades. In college, one day I’ll get like 75, the next day, 100… in the same class… lol. It evens out, but wow… </p>

<p>What are some surprises?
We’re suddenly adults. We’re expected to have relevant job experience and the same level of professionalism as everyone else. I remember watching an upperclassman work the conference room for new connections… They definitely do not teach that in HS.</p>

<p>Note how much of an overachiever you were in high school and where you are now.
In HS, I was/wanted to be an overachiever to be able to say I was smart and get into a good school. Very general motivations. Now I want to be an overachiever <em>in my field.</em> It’s not to say I’m smart, but because I like what I’m doing and want to be competent in my field. (also to apply to awesome internships!)</p>

<p>Add any other information. </p>

<p>Also, feel free to brag about your accomplishments this year.
I think I did that already. lol!</p>

<p>Go clas of 2010!</p>

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<p>anyhow i’m not class of 2010 but i was in a really weird situation (entered two years early, then realized that self-studying beats taking classes, which really radically altered my plans). But I’m definitely going to graduate later than 2009.</p>

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

  • I self-studied APs. And actually self-studying APs didn’t help that much - considering that you don’t have princeton review prep books for college :stuck_out_tongue:
    Is your GPA drastically different from what it was in high school?
    it could only go lower :stuck_out_tongue:
    Are you still working at the same pace?
    I’m self-studying more
    Are you still highly involved in ECs?
    no, my ECs are still self-study and forums. i have too many unread books and I need to find research</p>

<p>What things have changed between high school and college?
i went through a stage of existential angst and nihilism, then i realized how narrow-minded i was and read A LOT of books - and now i take my own education into my own hands
Is college as difficult as you thought it would be?
not quite sure - i’ll see when i take grad lvl courses next year
What are some surprises?
that change comes slowly - that i have to be myself and that emulating Marie Curie would be impossible. and that there do exist things in life outside of math and science (those things are cognitive psychology, sociobiology, and microeconomics :p)</p>

<p>and that few lectures are worth attending (you’re only learning when you’re actively involved - and for me - that involves reading textbooks on my own initiative)</p>

<p>and most people forget almost all of what they learn in college anyhow. that’s even somewhat expected. i want to remember what i learn - but that’s a lot easier when you self-study</p>

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<p>Post some stuff on Marie Curie. I love that quote about her self-studying and working into the night and starving and working furiously because all of that “delighted her.” It was beautiful:

</p>

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<p>lol i have a test to study for tomorrow. =/ some more is on my 9th grade blog</p>

<p>wow i just picked up a REALLY good book that relates to my course… it’s sad - there are some REALLY good books out there that can teach the subject better than 90% of instructors - and no one ever picks them up</p>

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<p>I have some reading to do but I know I’m going to be able to finish it rather quickly and that most of it consists of regurgitation from lecture albeit in a much more organized way. That and I’m checking my email every 5 minutes… </p>

<p>What courses are you taking right now InquilineKea? Are you taking any more upper-division physics courses? Have you taken any more sociology courses by the way?</p>

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<p>it’s summer now so it’s probability (math 394/395), baby real analysis (math 327) and multivariable (math 324). the sad thing is that i could have taken them all right after 10th grade but took honors calculus instead, which really slowed me down. i should have realized that it’s self-studying which gets you ahead - not taking honors courses.</p>

<h1>i skip a lot of lectures since they regurgitate material from the book. next year i’m thinking of abstract algebra, complex analysis, and statistical genetics. last two are graduate lvl - i might do more if my self-studying after summer quarter works out well. maybe the latter two will actually have lectures worth attending - but one can still self-study them all. </h1>

<p>upper-division physics - no. maybe later. but i’d like something rigorous - and i’d like to approach it from a hardcore math perspective. also i have all the resources to self-study all of the rest of undergrad physics - thank you bittorrent :stuck_out_tongue: again people learn from doing problems not from lectures
sociology - no. I heard REALLY bad things about the sociology classes from fellow early entrance kids - they said that no one’s motivated and that the teaching is just fact regurgitation. the sociology class for the early entrance kids was actually at the senior level since we actually read and analyzed research journal articles - and that isn’t even done in the undergrad sociology courses.</p>