Author: Ben

Benjamin Younger

Mrs. Toonen

First year writing MWF 9:30

1 April 2024

How Is College?

Some people say college is the greatest experience of their life and some people say it is the worst experience ever. I have been finding my own opinion since I started in the fall of 2023. I have had many ups and downs, but I try to make all my negatives and turn them into positives. One example of this is when I miss a class. I miss class way to often as I feel like I have more freedom. Another negative is having to work and not having time to work on assignments. I work on average over 20 hours a week, and work tends to consume my time on weekends. I mainly work to afford my college resources such as books, notebooks, pencils, etc. I work to also afford gas to commute to college and pay for food and other resources. One negative is the nighttime classes. Most of my Engineering technology classes are at night, and that is negative because of my commute, and it takes away time I could be working. Another negative is needing to buy my own books and supplies. The books cost a fair amount and while the supplies are all reasonable. All the smaller expenses tend to add up quick.

At the same time, college has some of the biggest positives out there. One of my biggest positives is that I get to choose my supplies now. This is big for me because my mom always got my supplies in high school. I get to get the things I like, and I prefer. Going along with that one of my favorite positives is how I feel a lot more independent in college. Since I commute, I still live with my mom, but at the same time I do feel like more of a person by myself. I get to dictate where I am or who I’m with, and I can do that with a lot more freedom. One major positive I like about college even though I do not live on campus is the stores on campus. If I need anything in-between classes whether that is a book from the bookstore or a snack from one of the multiple food shops. I feel like everything I need is on campus. I also like the different classroom environments. All professors are different, and they run their classrooms differently. That is one of my biggest positives because I feel like I am not taking the same class repeatedly there all very different because of how the professor teaches.  In high school I feel like all the teachers taught the same besides the few that would improve their teaching and make it more interactive.

There are a lot of opinions about the pros and cons of online classes. Some people are really one sided when picking their classes. Some pick mostly to all online classes while other make sure they only get in person classes.  The people that choose mostly online classes tend to have a lot more free time. With that time, they can do a lot of things such as work more, have time for exercise, or just have time to sit and read. Another pro with the online classes is that the professors are usually quick to replying with E-mails and are always available if you do need to talk to them in person. Along with the fact that some professors have online lectures to watch so that way you can see what they are talking about. The online classes also allow you to do the homework on your own time. Homework is not due by a certain class, and you will never need to print it out which can save you money.

Then for some people they like to print out the paper and see it in person. Even some professors prefer having their work handed in by hand instead of online. Or to be able to talk to the professor after class about the paper or other topic discussed in class. The cons of Online classes can be prevalent with simply forgetting about an assignment because there’s no class to remind you of it. Another thing with the homework is that you might not see 800-word essay 3 days until it is due because you have not looked that far in advance. Another con could come when your laptop or computer are having issues. Then how long those issues could last cause you even more trouble. So, there are lots of pros and cons to taking online classes. Which do you prefer?