2013 Blogs

FIRST STOP!

11/6/2013

Welcome, welcome! So this is the first stop on your way to being a fully informed college student ready to take on the world! Okay, that may be an exaggeration but I do plan to offer up some GRADE A tips here so LET’S GO!!! This first thing you need to know about college, especially in the early years, is that effort is necessary. Unlike all of your schooling years before, which are required by law, college is completely elective; i.e.—no law is forcing you to go. Therefore, the workload assigned and your subsequent grade is totally up to you. When I began college it was so weird to me to have freedom; freedom to sleep-in, go to the bathroom during class WITHOUT permission, or skip the lecture entirely, WITHOUT a doctor’s note/call from mom. In retrospect, the transition from child to adult seems so abrupt that first year and although it is way cool to be able to do what you want, it is even cooler to maintain responsibility as if your mom and teachers were still reminding you to do your homework and study every night. Now I know I am sounding like Buzzkill Betty (responsibility, blah, blah), so I want to reiterate how awesome the college experience is. I can say without a doubt that college has been the best four years of my life with experiences I will NEVER forget, but the main reason my experience has been so awesome is because I have never half-a**ed anything along the way…ANYTHING. I will admit that my time management could have been better most of the time but if it was necessary to stay up all night to complete something, I did. If it was necessary to turn off my phone and get off twitter/tumblr/facebook, I did. If it meant attending every SI session, every week, I did-- which brings up another good point, a point that I would shout from any rooftop—utilize the academic resources on campus! Let’s pretend you’re the search crew in the movie Titanic and I’m the wrinkly, old Rose DeWitt- Bukater (who got to shag Leo DiCaprio- HOLLA!) here to present you with the most coveted piece of information in the whole world. Prepare yourselves, let the drama build, wait for it… if you have an SI leader in a class, go to every single session available to you. Even if you think you know the class material well, go to the sessions and I will guarantee you this (and that huge, blue ‘Heart of the Ocean’ necklace if you desire), that you will get an A+ in the course. I survived some of my most difficult classes by going to all of the SI sessions. There you will get tips and hints for all of the exams and most likely find someone who also wants an A+ then you can become study buddies and BFFs in-class and in real life! SCORE! If you hate writing papers or suck at grammar, like myself (I literally throw commas around because I have no clue most of the time) and the majority of the American population, you can go to the writing center located upstairs in Whitewater. If you also hate math and all of the ancient mathematicians who created it, you can walk right on over to the math center, upstairs IN WHITEWATER! The math center also has science help, FYI! Not only are these resources FREE, but many professors will actually give extra credit to those who regularly seek help or just do their work in the centers! WHAT?!  BFFs, A+++, AND extra credit?! Sounds too good to be true, but I assure you from experience, it’s legit. Okay, so you’re putting in all of this effort. Now what? Well first, professors will definitely take notice. Again, coming from high school you would never expect professors to be cool, but most of them are. As you near your college graduation (it creeps quick, watch out!), professors become your biggest resource. You will eventually need recommendations, either for grad school or job resumes, and if a professor remembers how hard you worked in a class, that recommendation could seal a deal. Providing consistent effort will also offer you opportunities in college like study abroad, internships, and work study. Don’t kid yourself into thinking all students get these opportunities, because they don’t. Those who work hard and excel get these life changing opportunities because they’re hard and require work! Work hard, play hard, work hard, play hard! Right Ne-Yo?! One lasting piece of advice, ultimately your classes will equip you with knowledge on all sorts of things, and in life it is far better to know theorists ranging from Piaget to Darwin than to know all of the Kardashian/Jenners. If you think otherwise, life is most likely going to punch you in the face. Ok, so let’s review right quick. E is for EFFORT. A is for ALWAYS GETTING AN A+. B is for BIG BOOTY JUDY because no one should ever have a half-a** approach in college. Now get your big butts back on this train and prepare yourselves for the next stop on Information Station! All aboard!! Kelsey