Ugh. A honey roasted peanut in a bowl of cashews.
Okay. I have an issue.
Everybody on the entire face of the planet apparently thinks that college is an astounding transition to which innocent, naive high school students must adjust to with the nurturing guidance of college officials, parents, and friends.
What the hell is what I say.
Really, is college that different?
Article I: Independence.
Now, I must say that this being far far away thing is absolutely beautiful. But an adjustment? No. I have been brushing my own teeth and putting on my own clothes since grade school. Bedtime limitations have been removed since sixth grade, and I have been budgeting my own time and doing my own homework since middle school. I have woken myself up, made my own breakfast, and been able to wash my own clothes for many, many years.
What in heaven or on Earth must I adjust to? The freedom from the strict scrutiny of my parents? In my opinion, if our parents were the alpha and omega of your every decision in high school, they will be in College, and if they trsted you to be responsible and make your own decisionsin high school, they will in college. Mine were in the latter category.
Oh, but woe is me. I have forgotten a very important talking point. The car. MY car. The friggin symbol of teenage independece. How I miss thee and how you stalled with a quarter tank of gas and how your seatbelts always got tangled and how you made indescribable sounds during the winter. The loss of my car was BIG. I would say the driver's licence is a bigger adjustment than college any day. With a liscence, so many things become possible, from friday dnners out to road trips to the simple pleasure of getting away for an hour. This is one adjustment I am still not quite over. But interestingly enough, this is an adjustment to the LOSS of independence. Peculiar, eh?
Article 2: The Seperation
So what. I spent most of my time at home doing homework and waching TV anyway. I miss dinner out, but I am glad to be free of family meals (especially the clean-up). I talk to my parents through e-mail or on the phone to check in or when something important happens. I miss my dogs. That's one I didn't think about. They can't use the phone, so it's hard to interact with them. But everone else, well, not so much. I love them, but I don't miss them. The same goes for my friends, a good many of which, I have kept contact with online. Again, I miss dinner out. Meal plans box me into the walls of the campus come lunch or dinner. And this is living 10 hours away. I really don't understand homesickness from 45 minutes away (not that I am criticizing, I just can't comprehend it).
Article 3: The Dorm
I dont get what the big deal is. The community bathroom is comfortable. There has never been a big problem with space or with my hallmates. The dorm doesn't affect my life more than giving me friends to eat lunch and go to class with. Maybe go out Friday and Saturday night. Since I am not accustmed to walking around naked, none of my habits have changed. Now, of course, I am privilaged to live in a single, and perhaps this is the BIG adjustment that I have not had to make that serves as the divider between me and every one of my friends when it comes to the adjustment issue.
Article 4: The Classes
First off, this is Vanderblt. Ii really expected more, to tell you the truth. I would love to say that I am being challenged and pushed tomy limit and I am learning more than I ever did in high school. But either my high school courses prepared me so well for college that I don't notice a difference (which is ENTIRELY pssible), or the fact is, college courses really aren't as difficult as they're cracked up to be. I tend to side with the former explanation, since my high school experience was awesome, and I suppose if you went through "regular" courses, your perception of college would be different (however, as far as I know, my friends all had challenging high school careers). Not that I haven't had ome tough times. Engineering is especially taxing due to the fact that the material is all completely new, but really, the amount of brainpower is comparable. But, lest we forget, the college system is completely different. No more going to 6 classes a day. This simply means you A) Are actually using class time to learn at a faster rate or b) Are learning at the same rate, but covering less material. Either way, I get 3 credit hours, though I prefer the former, since it means that my time is not wasted, as was the case in some high school classes. So yes. The 2 class a day setup is a difference, but in my assesment, it is quite stisfactory, and the adjustment took a total of one week as I found my new classes.
Article 5: The People.
I don't make frineds in a few weeks. I moved in fourth grade and had a different set of friends every year of middle school. Freshman year, it took until November before I truly became friends with anyone at Santa Fe. Then, I kept those friends plus a few more for the next four years. Everyone at my 14th birthday party was invited to my 18th. Weird, huh? A three year old could count the number of people I considered true friends during high school. This, some may say, is an adjustment. But this is not particular to college. This is something that is true for everyone, everywhere. Making friends and becoming comfortable is an adjustment that I have had to make many times before, so perhaps I understand the situation a little more than someone who stayed in the same place for the past 12 years, but nevertheless, I suppose that this needs factor into the adjustment equation. But I think this adjustment is ongoing. No matter if you are a social diva or the dirty harmonica player on the street corner. As I put it today in a conversation with Rod, whether your mission is to climb to the top of the social ladder or if ou are content standing on the ground, far away from even a kitchen stool.
A subcategory of people, I guess, is the clubs. The last blog was on being a joiner, so you know my opinion on these. But what I have realizedsince then, is that college clubs have free reign. They can have a meeting at 3 in the afternoon thursday or 10 at night Sunday. No time is sacred, and it is not a ghastly intrusion on your time if there is an activity Saturday morning. No time is sacred. The only club in high school that I would grant weekend time to was NHS. I had to adjust to the fact that the writing society meets at dinner time and AiChE meets Sunday afternoon.
So there you have it. College is just as everone described it. But I am still in search of the big adjustment. If you would, could ou point me in the general direction. Otherwise, I will be keeping an eye out, and I will tell you if I find it.
Sincerely,
Steven M. E.
Everybody on the entire face of the planet apparently thinks that college is an astounding transition to which innocent, naive high school students must adjust to with the nurturing guidance of college officials, parents, and friends.
What the hell is what I say.
Really, is college that different?
Article I: Independence.
Now, I must say that this being far far away thing is absolutely beautiful. But an adjustment? No. I have been brushing my own teeth and putting on my own clothes since grade school. Bedtime limitations have been removed since sixth grade, and I have been budgeting my own time and doing my own homework since middle school. I have woken myself up, made my own breakfast, and been able to wash my own clothes for many, many years.
What in heaven or on Earth must I adjust to? The freedom from the strict scrutiny of my parents? In my opinion, if our parents were the alpha and omega of your every decision in high school, they will be in College, and if they trsted you to be responsible and make your own decisionsin high school, they will in college. Mine were in the latter category.
Oh, but woe is me. I have forgotten a very important talking point. The car. MY car. The friggin symbol of teenage independece. How I miss thee and how you stalled with a quarter tank of gas and how your seatbelts always got tangled and how you made indescribable sounds during the winter. The loss of my car was BIG. I would say the driver's licence is a bigger adjustment than college any day. With a liscence, so many things become possible, from friday dnners out to road trips to the simple pleasure of getting away for an hour. This is one adjustment I am still not quite over. But interestingly enough, this is an adjustment to the LOSS of independence. Peculiar, eh?
Article 2: The Seperation
So what. I spent most of my time at home doing homework and waching TV anyway. I miss dinner out, but I am glad to be free of family meals (especially the clean-up). I talk to my parents through e-mail or on the phone to check in or when something important happens. I miss my dogs. That's one I didn't think about. They can't use the phone, so it's hard to interact with them. But everone else, well, not so much. I love them, but I don't miss them. The same goes for my friends, a good many of which, I have kept contact with online. Again, I miss dinner out. Meal plans box me into the walls of the campus come lunch or dinner. And this is living 10 hours away. I really don't understand homesickness from 45 minutes away (not that I am criticizing, I just can't comprehend it).
Article 3: The Dorm
I dont get what the big deal is. The community bathroom is comfortable. There has never been a big problem with space or with my hallmates. The dorm doesn't affect my life more than giving me friends to eat lunch and go to class with. Maybe go out Friday and Saturday night. Since I am not accustmed to walking around naked, none of my habits have changed. Now, of course, I am privilaged to live in a single, and perhaps this is the BIG adjustment that I have not had to make that serves as the divider between me and every one of my friends when it comes to the adjustment issue.
Article 4: The Classes
First off, this is Vanderblt. Ii really expected more, to tell you the truth. I would love to say that I am being challenged and pushed tomy limit and I am learning more than I ever did in high school. But either my high school courses prepared me so well for college that I don't notice a difference (which is ENTIRELY pssible), or the fact is, college courses really aren't as difficult as they're cracked up to be. I tend to side with the former explanation, since my high school experience was awesome, and I suppose if you went through "regular" courses, your perception of college would be different (however, as far as I know, my friends all had challenging high school careers). Not that I haven't had ome tough times. Engineering is especially taxing due to the fact that the material is all completely new, but really, the amount of brainpower is comparable. But, lest we forget, the college system is completely different. No more going to 6 classes a day. This simply means you A) Are actually using class time to learn at a faster rate or b) Are learning at the same rate, but covering less material. Either way, I get 3 credit hours, though I prefer the former, since it means that my time is not wasted, as was the case in some high school classes. So yes. The 2 class a day setup is a difference, but in my assesment, it is quite stisfactory, and the adjustment took a total of one week as I found my new classes.
Article 5: The People.
I don't make frineds in a few weeks. I moved in fourth grade and had a different set of friends every year of middle school. Freshman year, it took until November before I truly became friends with anyone at Santa Fe. Then, I kept those friends plus a few more for the next four years. Everyone at my 14th birthday party was invited to my 18th. Weird, huh? A three year old could count the number of people I considered true friends during high school. This, some may say, is an adjustment. But this is not particular to college. This is something that is true for everyone, everywhere. Making friends and becoming comfortable is an adjustment that I have had to make many times before, so perhaps I understand the situation a little more than someone who stayed in the same place for the past 12 years, but nevertheless, I suppose that this needs factor into the adjustment equation. But I think this adjustment is ongoing. No matter if you are a social diva or the dirty harmonica player on the street corner. As I put it today in a conversation with Rod, whether your mission is to climb to the top of the social ladder or if ou are content standing on the ground, far away from even a kitchen stool.
A subcategory of people, I guess, is the clubs. The last blog was on being a joiner, so you know my opinion on these. But what I have realizedsince then, is that college clubs have free reign. They can have a meeting at 3 in the afternoon thursday or 10 at night Sunday. No time is sacred, and it is not a ghastly intrusion on your time if there is an activity Saturday morning. No time is sacred. The only club in high school that I would grant weekend time to was NHS. I had to adjust to the fact that the writing society meets at dinner time and AiChE meets Sunday afternoon.
So there you have it. College is just as everone described it. But I am still in search of the big adjustment. If you would, could ou point me in the general direction. Otherwise, I will be keeping an eye out, and I will tell you if I find it.
Sincerely,
Steven M. E.
posted by tidalplateau at 8:55 PM
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