My Personal Experience In College

Coming into college I knew there was going to have to be changes that took place. Throughout my high school career I never felt the need to study. I was usually fairly successful without ever having to put too much effort into any sort of preparation for assignments or tests. I knew that once I began college things would be different. I knew I would need to study and work harder on my assignments. This semester's triumphs and failures has given me an idea as to what I need to do in order to successfully move forward with my college degree. I must be always open to change and adapt in order to succeed.

For those who attended college will say that their best years of their lives were in college, while others say otherwise. So far, my SU experience has been a blast so far, but with four years still coming ahead, there is a myriad of matters that I want to do before I graduate. As noted by Barack Obama Howard University commencement speech “Change is the effort of committed citizens who hitch their wagons to something bigger than themselves and fight for every day.” (Obama, 6), I will make use of my time for the purpose of changing the world for the better. Some of these topics that I want to do are participating in classes or majoring in another topic, traveling abroad to possibly a developing country, working at a major or a little company as an intern, finding myself and developing my people/leadership skills, and growing my skills of cooking. Hopefully, my college years will be the best moments of my life and during these times I would develop these lifelong skills for the future.

The first semester of my freshman year of college was a whole bunch of not getting what I wanted. Not getting things that I applied for. Not fitting into the group of people that I wanted to be friends with. Not having any of the guys that I was interested in be interested back. Not achieving the grades I wanted (and kind of assumed I would get). That’s just a whole lot of experience

describing your purpose for being in college, your educational experience, motivation and attitudes toward learning, your strengths, weaknesses, and academic/career goals.

Throughout the semester, I have grown tremendously. Coming into this semester, I was nervous, but excited for college. I had expectations of how it would go, and nothing went how I planned. I had to grow up and realize I was on my own now. Everything was up to me; I can decide my bed time, I can decide to go to class, and I can decide what to make of my time here. Time management has been the biggest adjustment in college. Last year, I took 7 courses, two of those AP level, worked 30 hours a week, and still managed to have time for an hour gym session every day. In college, however, I struggled to have the motivation to even go to my 10 a.m. classes. Reality hit after the first week, and I realized I needed to stay focused and motivated to stay on track with my class work.

Attending college at the university level gives many opportunities to students who carry on with the pursuance of their degree. With such pursuit, students find themselves working hard in a classroom for a subject that won’t always directly apply to what they hope to specialize in following graduation. This class, Management 306, Organizational Behavior and Diversity, is a class that is “required” and therefore, some students aren’t able to see the purpose of this class with the degree that their seeking. When looking at my degree checklist, I saw this class and didn’t have high hopes for it with my first impression. However, as time went on and my mind adjusted from a freshman mentality to a senior mentality, I realized how vital I expect this class to be. I am a part of a society that is full of diverse concepts, beliefs, practices, and people. Diversity is something though that I believe to be unaccepted in most cases, as is supported by most of today’s news channels. Apart from the majority of the society that I am a member of, I want to learn, understand, and better respect the diversity of this world.

I was born into a culture of wealth. The air I breathe, the water I drink, the food I eat, the shoes I wear, even the smell of my backyard – it all embodies the privilege that my ancestors staked claim to – albeit, largely through happenstance, luck, and the paleness of their skin. It is with acknowledgment of my own affluence, that I participated in an experiment to attempt to live on $5 a day for two days in a row.

Shakespeare wrote, “It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves”. With the life I had growing up, I never thought college was an option. I was in and out of foster care until my grandparents took guardianship of me when I was 12 years old. They never really pushed college on me or even mentioned it much. None of my other family went to college, some didn’t even graduate high school. So when I finally enrolled in my first semester of college this fall, I was very excited but also very frightened. My brother, who everyone thought would be successful with college, flunked out his first semester at UCO. He’s in the Army National Guard so he says he had a hard time juggling that and school. Therefore, it worried me that I wouldn’t be able to make time to stay focused, issues in my personal life, such as my work schedule, family, and television pose a threat to my success this semester.

College is often called the best time of your lives but it is also the first time you are left alone with new experiences. Some of these experiences are good ones you will keep for life and others are one that teach you valuable lessons. These experiences often can either make or break people depending on their level of responsibility and accountability.

During my first week as a freshman in college, I was still wondering if I had made the right choice for myself. Intrigued if the major I had chosen was right for me, I decided to attend a workshop strictly for product design students. I wanted to meet people in my major and also get a taste of what I had gotten myself into. On my way to the event, I ran into a girl with short curly hair that seemed lost and looking for a specific classroom. I asked her if she was a freshman and, relieved, she replied that she was, wondering if it was my first time in that maze of a building too. The URBN Center is the building where all the design classes are, and accordingly, it has an intricate system of half floors that is eye-pleasing yet confusing to get around.

People say once you graduate college to prepare yourself for the real world ahead of you. Going to college was the real world I was eager to experience after high school. The ability to be more independent and give the courage I already have to others surrounded around me. Attending Montclair State University has helped me recognize both my strengths and weaknesses throughout my college experience. Without those setbacks, I wouldn’t have been able to learn different approaches in order to be successful. These top ten lessons focused on preparation skills, communication, and passion.

I believe that the main struggle that I will face in college is becoming accustomed to a new way of life. Growing up in a small rural town in central New Jersey, I realized my area was not an accurate representation of the “real” world. Adapting to a new setting is a challenge that I am excited to take on and overcome. Additionally, the course load will vary from the one that I am used to. I was briefly exposed to this course load in a different environment during my summer exchange program at Oxford University, and I am excited to return to the rigorous courses. Most people would be nervous for the complete change to their life, but all I feel is the eagerness to begin my college experience and continue my growth and learning.

I feel that I have grown exponentially my first semester at UMD. Reading the letter I wrote to myself at the beginning of the semester, I realized that I didn’t have anything extraordinary to say to myself. The person I have evolved into over the past months is a lot more aware of the future and how the actions I make truly do affect those around me. Also, academically, I have learned about the educational system, the life around us, and how to relieve stress in my life. I can apply this knowledge my life and teach others about what I have learned. I am so blessed to have received an outstanding education.

I must admit that the thought of going off to college for the first time, made me a little bit nervous. Would my roommate and I get along, would I make new friends, would I find my way around campus, get to the right classrooms, and grades? Some of my most memorable moments have been meeting my roommate and making new friends. Not only have I met a number of new friends in the dorm, but also in my classes. Together, my new friends and I were soon able to find our way around campus and to the classrooms. College life has been such a great experience, because of all of the new friends that I have made, along with the independence it has created in me.

I had a lot of experiences in almost four months in USA. Be in college for the first time in my life is one of the most awesome for me. I’ve graduated in Brazil last year, and I was really excited to go to the college for the first time in my life, and for my surprise wouldn’t be in Brazil, but in USA. This made me feel a lot of feelings. I was nervous, excited, determined, etc.