College Student Experience

For first year students coming straight from high school, college life can either be very exciting or overwhelming depending on how well one prepares for it. Some have the notion that college is fun and is all about partying, while some believe that it is an environment in which they can achieve the ultimate freedom thus escape the stringent rules made by their parents at home. Others look forward to experiencing a different learning environment while being exposed to different cultures and sharing different academic knowledge. Successful assimilation into college life is determined by the student’s capability to transform into the new role of a college student. Numerous students face challenges they have never experienced before which can

How your lifestyle in college is and how it will change when you finish, get your degree and are finally set free into the working world. There are many similarities between the two but there are many vast differences that you will come to find out. A lot of things will happen when your life transfers from the college lifestyle to the responsible job holder college was molding you into.

As I read chapter one from Your College Experience: Strategies for Success, I agreed with their reasoning based on my experience. College is important, not just to me, but to the nation. It is a system that enables people, including myself a first generation low income student to work hard to achieve the American Dream. My overall goal is to graduate and be qualified for a career to support my family. To do this I need to plan smart goals and overcome challenges.

Welcome to the “playground of unregulated freedom” (Delbanco, 19) that is college. These institutions all have a purpose in forming an individual. Some take their years in college to discover who they are, to gain independence, or to simply complete their degree. My personal experience thus far during my collegiate career has been to focus on following my passion. I have taken my love of athletics, and interest in the human body as a way to motivate myself through school with the end goal of receiving a doctoral degree. Given that my first year of college was full of hardships that caused questions as to whether an education was truly worthwhile, I am here as a sophomore stepping out of my comfort zone daily to pursue my passion.

"Tomorrow is the first day of what I will become." I wrote this in my diary the night before my first day of college. I was anxious as I imagined the stereotypical college room: intellectual students, in-depth discussions about neat stuff, and of course, a casual professor sporting the tweed jacket with leather elbows. I was also ill as I foresaw myself drowning in a murky pool of reading assignments and finals, hearing a deep, depressing voice ask "What can you do with your life?" Since then, I've settled comfortably into the college "scene" and have treated myself to the myth that I'll hear my calling someday, and that my future will introduce itself to me with a hardy handshake. I can't completely rid my

The preconceived notion of college life is that everyone is broke, tired, and struggling academically, spiritually and socially. While the college experience is different for each individual attending, everyone is pretty much going through the same things. We all eat the same food, experience the same fatigue after staying up all night studying for that exam coming up, checking our bank accounts and cringing when we see that we only have a few measly dollars left and regret the Whataburger we bought the other night when we thought we just had to have it and the food from the cafeteria would not suffice. I pretty much expected all of this. I expected the difficulty of the classes, the tiny showers, and the rush of people moving from class to class. What I did not

Although college is challenging, I am going to be successful by listening to advice from experts, by utilizing some effective strategies and tools, and by setting goals for myself, and taking advantage of the benefits of a college education.

I have learned a great deal from participating in sports at Anacortes High School. Determination, self discipline, character, accountability, leadership and perseverance are by far the most important things I have gained from my experiences. I believe I am a better person because my athletic career. I have learned how to be a strong, confident and an excellent leader on and off the court by participating in athletics. There is no doubt that I will take what I’ve learned through high school athletics and use it in the chapter of my life as a college student and future educator. I plan to go to school to become a Physical Education Teacher and later, an Athletic Director. I hope to inspire, encourage and support young students and athletes to

Picture this, a big high school football playing senior in the middle of his school’s stage. A sea of freshman fill the audience in front of him. He has his thumbs up, elbows back, butt out, knees together, head back, and tongue out.He was singing the song “Singin in the Rain” and that football player is me. I was leading the freshman in our first icebreaker of the day in hopes of waking them up while also setting the scene for fun the rest of the day at our Freshman Ignition. For the third year I decided I would be a mentor for the Freshman, except, this time, as a Senior, I would have a part in running the show. That day was full of fun activities like kung fu introductions, a skit for the freshman and a game called the human machine. I had a lot of fun myself leading the kids around and talking to them. We were able to make a fun and exciting atmosphere which contributed to a positive first experience for the freshman at high school. The ability to give back, help others grow, and make the time worthwhile is the job of a mentor. In college I want to grow more than just academically. I strive to share lessons with others while .

Whether you are a monster or a human you will find that in life there are going to obstacles that you must overcome. The life of a college freshman is no different than the life outside of college. By analyzing the main characters in the movies in Back to School (BTS) and Monsters University (MU) we can see the direct effects college has on these students’ lives. The similarities and differences of the movie BTS and MU, reveal stereotypical incoming attitudes, the reasons for attendance, and the lessons learned of closely- connected, college freshman.

While in college, I plan to attend other classes that are outside of my major and or participate in other activities, so I can expand my horizons of other topic. As a liberal arts school, SU encourages the development and curious of students to go beyond their intended majors. As a result, during registration, I could apply for classes that are not in my area of my major and thus, enrich my mind. The other way I could do this is by participating in clubs that have a specific area of expertise.

College is a great place to grow as a person, but you have to plan out what you will do in order to have the greatest experience possible. Without having a plan you will not be able to go forward with great confidence that you have made all of the right choices in college. This means you should not party and make bad decisions that will ruin your chances at making a great career out of your time and money that is going in for your education. I believe that you should not be part of the crowd that is only at school to party and to has fun, I believe that you should join a group that will help with your education and that you can still have a good time with. You should also have great relationships with your professors in order for you to go to them and talk about problems or issues that you are having with the classes you are taking and maybe they can give you advice on how you could improve in the class that you are struggling in, or maybe they can just be a person to talk to. Professors are great tools for you to use to start doing the best you can possibly do with the help and guidance that only professors can give.

Do you believe that college is for everyone? The article “Is College for Everyone” was written by Pharinet. It is located on the website AssociatedContent.com. Pharinet states her opinion that college is not for everyone. She explains the challenges of receiving a higher education. Now days individuals are expected to receive an education beyond high school. People believe you have to attend college to earn a degree for a brighter and successful future. Pharinet suggest, “Higher education is not the key to happiness and success for everyone.” Reasons for attending college differ depending on the person. Some people find college to be a little out of their price

As the first semester of my college career comes closer to an end, I am able to reflect on my first day at MCC up to the present. Though I still have a long journey ahead of me, I am reminded every day of the reason I enrolled in school; to become a nurse. The people, resources, and academic skills I have developed in only a short amount of time have given me confidence that I will persevere to the best of my ability in completing my degree as an RN.

I sat in the auditorium at Mount St. Mary’s University with about 400 of my new classmates, and the fact that I was a first-year student in college became my new reality. My family drove away after a few tears were shed, and I was left to navigate myself through the awkward ice breakers, overwhelming amount of information during New Student Orientation, and subpar meals in the dining hall. Attending a four year institution was always the next step for me after high school, and I thought I was ready to take on the challenge. Despite my outgoing personality and independent outlook on life, my first semester of college was eye opening and somewhat discouraging. For the majority of the first year, my student experience was tainted by my struggles in many aspects of life: deciding my major, the pressures of being a Division 1 athlete, and the difficulty of balancing a social life and school work. When I went home for Christmas break, I was forced to make a decision. Do I transfer home to my local community college or stay at The Mount? I chose the latter, and soon learned that student services and help from academic advisors was the key to engagement and success. Through student observation and interaction, it is apparent that first-year retention rates are affected by many factors. In order to increase retention rates, two key areas in which administrators should center their focus are student services and early intervention practices, which in turn will create a more positive