Professors and Class: College Life and You

There are many things I wish I had known at the beginning of my college semester to help make my transition easier. College is nothing like high school. Your high school teachers may have warned you of this and you, like me, probably did not believe them. However, college truly is not like high school. You will not deal with your college professors in the same manner you dealt with your high school teachers. Your class scheduling is completely different than that of high school. You will be able to choose your own classes; instead, of being told what to take. College is a lot more work than high school. Each class requires, at least, the same amount of outside of class studying time as when you are in class. Another, key point of college is to get involved. You should know the clubs, sports, and Greek life at your college. You should try and get involved in some of these activities. College is an entire new experience. Hopefully this paper will help prepare you for it.

The relationship you will have with your college professors will be completely different from your relationship with your high school teachers. Your college professors will, most likely, not know you by name. The best thing to do is to sit in the front of the classroom. The professor will then get to know your face. You should, also, introduce yourself to your professor in one of the first classes. Furthermore, always participate in class discussions. This will help your professor get to know you. But participating, also, shows the professor that you are doing your work and are interested in the course study.

Meeting with your professor will be drastically different than meeting with your high school teachers. Your high school teacher, most likely, knew you by name and even some personal information about you. Your professor will not. Your professor will have hundreds of students, making it impossible to know each student. When you need to meet with your professor, always make and appointment. When you go to your professor’s office at the time of your appointment you should arrive early. You, also, should introduce yourself and say which class you are in. Always be prepared when meeting with a professor. Bring all material, like paper or a book, you will need during the meeting. Following this procedure will not only impress your professor but also make your meeting more productive.

College requires a lot more studying time than high school. In high school I barely studied and still received good grades. However, that is not the case in college. Each college class requires, at least, the same amount of time outside the classroom studying, as amount of time you are in the classroom. In college you must keep up with the reading for each class. Once you fall behind it is nearly impossible to catch up. You must learn to schedule your time. Each day allow a certain amount of time for each task. Also, do not let your job interfere with your school. I overstressed myself out this semester by working forty-five hours a week on top of a fifteen credit hour semester. Manage your time. Let part time jobs stay part time. Always, remember school comes first.

Finally my last bit of advice to you is to get involved. Find out what clubs, sports, and Greek life your college offers. Find a club or sport that interests you and join it. You need to have fun while in college. Joining an activity provides entertainment and is, also, a way to meet other students. I joined Students Activities Council at school and have had many good experiences in the club. I have made many friends from the club and have been involved in a lot of activities on campus. Find an activity that interests you and get involved. Being involved opens more doors on campus.

I hope this advice is useful to you as incoming freshman. College has been, by far, the best experience of my life. I hope you, also, find it to be an incredible experience.