On College

**My following opinions about college were formulated and written down prior to this blog entry.**

9/23/2009

How to be successful in college:

• keep self-motivated & competitive despite the fact that sometimes you don't know your direct competition (due to the large class sizes)
• stay confident, maintain self-esteem, optimistic, & learn how to deal with superiors. (many students get depressed and have problems dealing with the stress of a new environment and classes)
• Hence it is also important to find your niche of friends or support group in college
• Figure out how you study effectively and how to approach material
• It is helpful to have a good work ethic
• As a freshman it's a good idea to try to meet a lot of people
• Time management is an essential skill to possess in order to succeed in college (and also in life) . Do not forget that taking breaks is just as important
• If one can teach the material they just learned to a fellow student, then they are on the right track
  

Difficulty of classes

• With large class sizes, you have a lot of competition and students just as smart or even smarter than you. Plus you don't necessarily see who your competition is.
• Some classes includes students who are cut throat and extremely/maliciously competitive
• The work load isn't anything that I have experienced before. College classes are overall harder and requires more time. Many students come unprepared.
• Going from a small high school to a large university requires a leap in order to adjust.
• There is a difference in professors who are lecturers and those who are researchers
  
• It is helpful to study in groups

College Life

• You are entering a world of change, where many things will become available. College is a culture, one that many students are new to. To some it is a very large lifestyle shock (depending on one's background).
• It is difficult to deal with other stresses of life outside of academics because classes are very demanding by themselves
• I suggest to explore and try new things. Formulate questions that you never asked yourself before and being questioning everything.

When picking a college

• Try and learn more about the departments you got accepted to
  
• Figure out the AP score equivalents
• Try not to have major regrets going to the college of your choice (unless the college was an extremely poor choice). Basically, make with what you have.
• Make sure you know a lot about the college before choosing to attend (e.g. figure out if that college is right for you or if you want a degree from there)

****One should know what one wants to accomplish in college or what you want to make of college and the experiences.****