5A It's Not as Hard as I Though

I was shocked to find out that I’ve already gone through a month of college classes already, everything is moving so fast. It almost feels like it was last week that I packed up my father’s truck with everything I needed to survive college and moved into my dorm room in Chase Hall. College so far hasn’t been too difficult for me. I have been putting almost all of my time and effort to do well in all my classes because at the end of the day I am paying for every cent of my education and can’t afford to do bad on a test or assignment or to even fail a class. My biggest trouble so far is my history lecture. The class is held in Engleman C112 which is a huge lecture hall that can fit over 200 students. Being in a class with so many students is very different for me. It is also very hard to focus in the class because the Professor talks and talk and talks the entire time without any slide shows or words to look at. I am forced to stare at my laptop for 75 minutes and type every word he says because I can’t decipher what is important and what isn’t. This class is going to be the hardest class I am taking this semester but I don’t want to let it get to me. Even though I am finding it difficult to focus and retain the information talked about during class, I am going to try my hardest to do my best to receive a decent grade in the class. I now know for future semesters that lecture hall style classes are NOT for me.

My biggest success so far has been my studying habits. In high school I never studied for a test or quiz, most of the material was repeated and taught in class so it was easy for me to remember information. I found out very quickly that college classes were not structured the same way as my high school classes once were. With being new to college classes I knew that my lack of studying habits from high school needed to change. College is a huge financial investment that I am paying for and I want to get good grades to make it worth the debt I’ll be facing after I graduate. In my Media class so far we have had two quizzes which I have received A+’s on. The only reason why I did so well on those test are because I took the time to create and study notecards. The tests were based on key terms which were discussed in class and I thought the best way to study for these test were to make flash cards; they really made all the difference. Going from never studying in high school to studying in college wasn’t too hard of switch. I am very motivated to study for my classes due to the amount of money I am paying just to attend these classes.

Now that I am ¼ done with my first semester, I have a very positive outlook on the other ¾ that are left. I am going to continue studying for my test and doing well in my classes because it will be worth it when apply to the School of Education and have no problem being accepted. I want to find more study techniques that I can used to help improve my already growing study habits. So far my flashcard method has been working very well, but I need to find a method that works well in my history class because there is just so much information that is expected to be learned. I had my first history quiz today and I felt like I didn’t do as well as I should’ve. I plan to talk to my professor and ask him for any tips or advice he might have for me to excel in his class. I have also been going to the library every night to complete homework and study for upcoming tests. This has been working very well to my advantage because the library is a quiet environment which forces me to work - eliminating the distraction of my loud dorm room. Another thing I do to make sure I am completing all my work when I arrive to the library is keeping an planner. Everyday I check my syllabus and ask my teachers what is due the next class. Before I leave for the library, I attach a sticky note to the planner and list what needs to be done before I can leave and go back to my dorm. This helps me stay on top of what I need to get done. I am also able to cross out completed tasks which makes me feel a sense of completion and pride that I was able to complete my list.  

I have very high expectation and goals for myself not only for this semester, but for all my semester of college. In order to make it through college not feeling like I wasted my time and money, I need to do well in all my classes, get accepted into the School of Education, and graduate on time. I will continue working hard and achieving my goals as the weeks pass, the semester ends and a new one begins. I have no doubt that I will strive and be successful through these next 12 weeks as I complete my first semester