Author: Sofia the first

Online classes can be difficult, even more so when you have multiple. I think everyone got a good idea of online classes during covid. Unfortunately for my school we did it on a pass-fail basis instead of A, B, C, D, F. This means that when I started taking online classes in college, I had no idea what to do. Luckily, I found how to adapt quickly, and have chosen to have two online classes next semester.  When we have in-person classes as well as online classes, we tend to lose sight of our online classes because we don’t have to wake up every morning to go to a class. That was something I learned the hard way. After I had struggled immensely at making sure my assignments were turned in on time, I figured out a schedule.

I don’t always sick to this schedule because life gets in the way. Recently I have found that the only way I do my work for my online class is if I leave my dorm and go to the library. I know that work for other classes can get a little heavier at times and this is why I have struggled to stick to this schedule. When I have a lot of work to do for my other classes I make a point to work on my online classes over the weekend. It doesn’t matter what I have going on over the weekend, I always make time. I got lucky in the fact that my homework is posted on a Monday and isn’t due until the Monday after, which is why I get to use a few hours over the weekend to be productive. In order to succeed in online classes, you need to have a time set aside for you to do the work. I have found it easier to have 2 days just in case one day gets a bit busy. The most important part is to have balance between your online classes and your in-person classes.

 

Growing up I always thought my room was so small. My parents always told me it was a normal size room and that I should be thankful and not complain. I never believed them; I mean I didn’t feel like I had room for anything. I didn’t realize how lucky I was until I started looking at colleges and seeing where I was supposed to live. I couldn’t even imagine someone living in a space so small not to mention sharing it with another person. Don’t even get me started on the beds. Most nights I’m terrified I’m going to roll off my bed because of how small it is. It’s not just the bed though, or the idea of having to share such a small room with another person though. Everything it different than what I’m used to. If I walk out of my room during the day my family isn’t just outside in the living room. Nope it’s a bunch of strangers. I can’t walk out of my room and go bother my younger brother because I’m bored. While it may sound selfish that I just miss being able to annoy my family but that’s just the way it is.

While there is plenty of negatives, I suppose there are a few positive things about living in the dorms as well. Your roommate is like required to be your friend or else its awkward, so you get a built-in friend. While I love annoying my parents, them annoying me is not my favorite. Living in the dorms is like a little vacation from your family depending on how far away your college is from them. Without parents also means you can eat whatever you want. Sometimes I just want to eat some pita bread and carrots without my mother telling me that I need to eat real food for dinner. I think that being in the dorms really make us appreciate our time at home. I miss my “terribly small” bedroom at home, eating real food that my mom makes, and annoying my brother and my dad when I’m bored. While missing home may sound so negative its actually a good thing because we learn to appreciate home more.

            I grew up in a lovely household, but like all kids I always dreamed of being on my own. I loved my parents and was always so grateful for everything they did for me. Sometimes it just got to be a little much. My junior year of high school they put me on life360. Being tracked everywhere you go must be every kid’s worst nightmare. While my parents never really got on me about grades, they pushed a lot about not going out on school nights or having friends over. I was one of the only kids who wasn’t allowed to have fun during the week. It was never just about my parents though. I also had two brothers. One of which ate all our food, especially everything I liked. My younger brother wasn’t as inconvenient, but he was just as annoying as every younger brother. So yes, you could say I was ready to get out of my childhood home for at least a little while.

          College has been amazing. I miss my family every now and then but being alone and not hovered over is so freeing. Being away I can buy anything I want whenever I want without my parents judging me for it. Not to mention they can’t tell me I can’t go out or hang out with friends. I can eat whatever I want, and my mom isn’t around buying ice cream all the time, so my diet has improved contrary to the popular statistic of the freshman fifteen. While I’m more responsible for what I eat I’m also responsible for my grades; I was before too but it means more to me now. While some people are terrified of having so much responsibility, I enjoy it. I love not being told to do my dishes because when I’m told to do something I won’t want to do it, but now I clean and am responsible on my own. I’m finally free and can do what I want when I want.