Author: Strawberry Shortcake

Avery DeBlaey           

Professor Linda Toonen

First-Year Writing M-W-F 11:40

15 April 2024

 

Best Years of Your life: What to Expect

Dear Sam, Going to college can be  nerve wracking. It’s the time of your life, the time to choose and the time to take charge of your future, but beyond that, the stress of the unknown can be incredibly scary. So here is what to expect. College food is typically not the greatest and you might find yourself missing a home cooked meal from time to time, but it can also be incredibly nutritious and typically there are many options to choose from. Many schools have restaurants or other food locations within the campus and if you find yourself tired of the food in the commons you can always just go there. For something I had to overcome, I had to overcome being very picky. I had to learn to eat what I was given so I wasn’t starving in classes .

In regards to actual schooling, your first year classes will be the easiest by far and will go upwards in difficulty, don’t be afraid of that though considering that passing the difficult classes depend on how you spend your time. Spending time in class by attending class everyday, spending time studying, and always doing your homework. These will help you keep a good gpa in even the toughest classes. Another thing is to keep in contact with your professors. They are very understanding individuals if you actually let them know what is going on.  Doing these things have an overall positive impact on your grade. If you don’t let your professors know what’s going on they assume you’re just skipping. I learned that the hard way last semester. I got really sick and I had no motivation to email my professor and my grade was poor because of it. 

College is something that many people dream about experiencing, spending many hours of time and effort to go to the school of their dreams so that they can achieve a degree in whatever field they choose to enter. For some, the experiences they’ve had up to that point have prepared them for the change to come. For others, they had no idea what they were getting into.

Having a roommate for me came with hurdles to overcome. I have never had a room to myself. Having five siblings means you do not have very much privacy. Sharing a room is all you have ever known. I did not think twice about needing a roommate. My roommate never had to share a room with someone. Not so shockingly, it turns out that people without that experience aren’t the most pleasant to live with.

My roommate disregards other people. My roommate last semester kept the lights on until midnight before loudly getting ready for bed simultaneously on the phone with her partner. My roommate’s actions completely ruined my sleep schedule. I had a conversation with my roommate about staying up when was an appropriate time for lights out and when to be quiet. This solved that problem completely and I finally got to have some peaceful sleep. A big thing that people don’t seem to talk about with on-campus living, is the complete isolation and loneliness that comes with being around strangers. I happen to be a very emotional person and expressing that is very hard on campus. Everyone always tells me you don’t have to be friends with your roommate which is a sentiment I fully believe in. I think being besties would have been a lot easier than living with someone you have to walk on eggshells for.