Experiences vs. Expectations pt. 2

I would be a failure managing my time between academics and extracurricular activities.

Going into college, I was concerned that I wouldn't do well due to not managing my time wisely. My friends from high school who had already experienced their freshman year would always complain about not having any time for a social life or academics. On Twitter, there would be posts such as, “College: Social life, sleep, and academics. Pick two.”  How would I balance it all? I expected to do school work all the time and end up missing the college experience.  The key to managing your time wisely in college is to eliminate procrastination tools such as Twitter, Netflix, and Facebook. You'll have a lot of time on your hands due to only having a couple of classes in a day.  Trust me when I say, it's easy to watch a whole season of How I Met Your Mother on a day off. Instead, choose two to three extra-curricular activities to get involved in. I chose to join Best Buddies, intramural basketball, and began to work as a tutor at CLAS. Writing down what homework needs to be done and when you have activities in a planner only helps you. You'll be able to know when you can do homework or spend time with friends. Most importantly, do not wait until the last minute to write a paper or do homework. In high school, you may have been able to pull off doing homework while your teacher was taking attendance. It's just not plausible in college.

I would be partying every night in Boston.

Going to college meant freedom, including freedom to party. I thought I would be out in the city every night going to house parties or attending events in the city. That was far from reality. Yes, I did go to parties and went out dancing with friends but those were minor occurrences. Personally, I didn’t want to party every night. Constant city living can led to temptations but as an adult, you have to set boundaries.  I’m not advising you to stay in your dorm every night, allow yourself to have nights out but make sure you’re not over doing it. Make sure you party in moderation. Personally, going out a few times a month turned out to be a stress reliever.  “Going out” doesn’t necessarily mean you have to party, you can go ice skating at Frog Pond, get dinner at a fancy restaurant, explore the city, go to a sporting event, etc.

Finals week would be the death of me.

College finals seem to be daunting. During finals week, people on Twitter and Facebook constantly complain and make finals seem like the end of the world. I was expecting to be in the library all day studying and loading up of caffeinated beverages. However, I found finals to be less difficult than what peers make them out to be. I'm not too fond of studying but I found myself making study guides and flash cards. The key to studying is not to overwhelm yourself or stress out.  Don't try to cram every bit of information taught during the semester in one night.  It’s not plausible. Make sure to eat well and get rest. Take advantage of programs that CLAS offer such as iStudy. iStudy has snacks, tutoring, therapy dogs and much more to make you relax. Keep reminding yourself that after all the hard work, you'll get a break from school and will be able to binge watch a show on Netflix.

Stephanie Hunter,
Tutor

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