10 Rules for Going to College When Nobody Really Expected You To by Joe Rodriguez is something I can relate to right now, and I'm not even in college! He basically is giving us rules to become a successful colleague (the title says it all). My favorite rule was actually #6- Study harder in college. I know that some of us are struggling in school, either for family problems, financial problems, or social problems. It still remains to be our job to stay focused and to put effort in everything we do. If you think you are doing your hardest right now, then you need to think again because college is two times harder than high school. It may be funner because you get to choose the time of day you want to attend, but it is also more stressful. We have the smartest kids in college stressing out the most. So unless your name is Ryan Farquahr, you will need to study like you have never studied before and work so hard you start to sweat. (Maybe I am over exaggerating). Thank you for reading my blog.
All our lives, we've been told what to do, how to do it, when to do it, and why to do it. We've been spoon-fed certain ideals, and now that it's our senior year, a lot of us are low key freaking out. We walk around like everything's okay, laughing as if our high school social lives and work loads are never going to end. We talk about college, though, about how awesome it is going to be. Our eyes sparkle dreamily when thinking of such freedom. Our blood boils with adrenaline at the very thought of being in control. The thing is, the world out there is kind of scary. Unless you realize what you have to do, what "day in, day out" really means, how much gas is when filling your tank, or how long it takes to bike to your class, it's going to be tough. Some of us are mentally prepared. Some of us are emotionally prepared. Some of us are capable of so much and are just waiting, waiting, waiting. We wait for that glorious day in our caps and gowns, that day we cry and laugh and hug and pack. We count the days. We plan. We read. We study. We do so much, whether we actually acknowledge it or not, and the thing is... We won't know we're ready until we're there. We won't know if we'll be organized and actually go to classes full time and get a part time job or whatever it is we think is going to happen looking at it from rose-colored glasses. We don't know if we'll go and volunteer and write a thesis and get an internship until we DO. Whether we're a Ryan or not, we have to put in effort. He puts in effort. We all do. It just depends on how much and with what quality. All we can do is try our very best. All we have to do is care. Everything will be okay as long as we're aware of ourselves and the world around us and acknowledge what it takes to get where we want to get, whether that route includes COLLEGE or NOT.
ReplyDeleteI do not think you are over exaggerating at all. I honestly feel that high school does not prepare us for college, even the students who study the hardest and get the best grades will still be shocked when they attend college. In high school it is so easy to get lazy and just get by, but in college it is so easy to fail your class by missing important assignments, and not being reminded my your parents or teachers everyday to make sure all of your work is done and turned in. I'm not saying that college is unbearable and that only smart people, i.e. Anika Bennons can make it, but that we're all capable of pulling through. It's a matter of changing our daily routines, actually spending time studying and doing work, rather than attending the clubs and just having fun. In the movies college, looks like one big party, full of excitement. College can be exciting, but it does take hard work to pull through.
ReplyDeleteAs were getting closer to the end of high school im starting to freak out more about college. I feel like i havent even started to prepare for it. From what everyone tells me high school is in no way close to college. Its such a different atmosphere there. All this talk from othere people is freaking me out. Im starting to get nervous. I see my cousin who is super smart freaking out over quizzes that shes getting in class.. I mean come on their only quizzes their not even test. It makes me wonder how im going to get through it. I feel like im going to have to dedicate my life to school and only school, i feel like my social life (basically my fun life) is out the window. Im just hoping that its not like everyone says and that im going to have time to do things that i like rather than just devote my life to school. Crossing my fingers!
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