College Life Questions

amazingme17
Fri, 25 Nov 2011 23:38:29 +0000

What is the one advice you’d give to college freshmen?
Definitely study hard and take your classes seriously. Just because your professors aren’t collecting homework or aren’t giving reading quizzes every day does not mean that you should not do the assigned problems/the reading; that will almost certainly come back to haunt you come exam time (and in most classes, a few exams count for a majority of your grade). Prioritize your academics, but don’t make them your sole focus. Don’t isolate yourself. Definitely try to meet new people; join a few extracurriculars and try to get involved on campus. Be careful who you choose to hang out with.
What’s the most important thing in choosing a college? Why?
Well, I would definitely recommend visiting the college, attending an accepted students weekend or something like that to see if you like the campus, the atmosphere, to see if you’re a good fit, etc. You definitely want to go to a place where you think you’ll be able to fit in and be content. I don’t think prestige should have anything to do with this.
Is studying different in college than in high school? How?
It is in that it requires a lot more initiative on your part. Like I said earlier, professors aren’t always going to collect homework or “suggested problems” and won’t always give reading quizzes or even discussed the assigned reading. However, it is your responsibility to do the homework anyways, catch up on the assignments if you’re falling behind, or face the consequences come exam time when you try to cram everything in (and since college tests are a lot more comprehensive than high school tests, that might not work so well).
What’s the biggest distraction in college? Why?
Like many people above me have already said, social life, lol. It’s hard sometimes, but it’s so essential to find the right balance.
What was your first day like?
My first day of classes or first day on campus as a student (which was a few days before the first day of classes)? Move in went pretty smoothly… the orientation leaders helped carry all of our stuff to our dorm rooms, so that was really nice. We were all split into orientation groups, and the orientation leaders pretty much told us a few things about college life, and I think we had some assemblies that afternoon. That night, my roommate and I met some other girls in our dorm, and I think we had a floor meeting that night too. So yeah, it went pretty smoothly. My first day of classes was pretty good, too. I did not get lost, and my professors seemed really cool (my chem professor did demos; my anthro professor posed some interesting questions that we would explore throughout the semester).
What is living with a roommate like?
So far, we haven’t had any major conflicts. I mean, she’s more of a night owl, and I’m more of a morning person, but we try to be considerate of each other (e.g. she’ll try to enter the room quietly if it’s really late at night; I’ll try not to make noise when I get up in the morning)
How did you know your college was the right one for you?
I visited it August before my senior year, and I loved it almost immediately. I attended an accepted students event in April, sat in on a class, and the second visit confirmed that this school was right for me.
What matters most in choosing a roommate? How was your roommate chosen?
Mine was random; in terms of choosing a roommate, I have heard that it’s best not to choose a high school best friend, both since it might box you in/prevent you from meeting new people and because it might dissolve your friendship. Your roommate doesn’t have to be your friend; just someone you can get along with.
Do you have a job? If so, how do you balance school and work?
No, I don’t have a paid job, so I’ll replace “work” with “extracurriculars.” I definitely try to put my academics first (unless I had already made a commitment to, for example, a volunteer event, in which case that becomes my first priority). It honestly hasn’t been that difficult. I enjoy attending club meetings and especially enjoy going on Volunteer Emory trips, since it makes me feel good that I’m making a positive difference rather than just keeping my nose in my chemistry book all the time. =)
Where do you go to college and what is your experience there like?
Emory University. So far, it’s been pretty good. I love the campus, my professors, most of the people I’ve met, the extracurricular opportunities, etc.
What is your toughest class? Why?
This semester, probably Chemistry. I’m taking the class with an excellent, but really tough professor, and the class definitely moves at a rapid pace. That being said, I have constantly work hard to keep up with what’s going on in the class (which is true for all my classes, but especially for chem). But I think this challenge is definitely a positive, because I feel like I’m really learning the material well.