College Life
What will College Life Look Like?
By: Daisy Gasca-Gonzalez
College is an educational institution where students can get degrees or certificates while being taught how to think critically and solve problems involving the major students choose. Every person has their own experience when it comes to college. Some can create the best years of their life while in college, and others describe college as the worst part of their life. It all depends on how ready and how much knowledge a person has about college life that can determine their experience. Preparing is critical to having a successful college life.
How will College life be like?
While in college, there are many classes to attend. General education are the fundamental classes: English, Math, Science, and a language class. Everyone is required to take those classes in their first two years in college. It is also acceptable to take one class for the major of choice while taking general classes. There are many different students attending the same college campus that may bring a culture shock because of how much diversity will be found.
The mixture of classes, fast-paced deadlines, work for the different classes being taken, and having to balance a social life as well as mental health can all become overwhelming. Former Bruin, Maritza Garcia, a Hartnell student, tells The Bruin’s Eye, “Everything is fast paced, it is challenging but not impossible.” Take this advice from a current college student and start mentally preparing for the difficulty of college life ahead. Living in college, many students decide to commute to and from their school which can be an option for incoming freshmen who wish to not go far. Commuting is a different experience for everyone, someone can enjoy the travel while others find it rather annoying. Martiza informs our reporters, “I would say the commute isn’t bad. Although sometimes it can get bad because of traffic.” Commuting is a common way students get to their colleges; however, it does come with negatives like the cost or traffic. Commuting versus living on campus should be a top factor high school seniors should consider before deciding where to attend.
Colleges also provide several buildings or centers for students to just chill or study for their classes. An online web article, Colleges and University Buildings: Trends and Changes, explains, “...provide a healthy and acoustically pleasant environment for the protection, comfort, education and productivity of students, staff and professors.” Whichever college current seniors decide to go to there will always be student centers or buildings that will provide hospitality or amusement. On-campus life all depends on the students who attend the college and how much effort they put into making those years the best of their lives.
A Fresno State College Football game in action.
Photograph by Daisy Gasca
Many Fun Experiences!
It is important to note having a fun college experience comes with having to socialize with a variety of new people. The webpage, wikiHow, an informational website that offers the curious step by step instructions on life, explains how socializing is key when it comes to college because making friends is all about creating fun experiences. Concerts, going out to parties, and participating in school activities like football games or tailgates are just a couple of experiences to go through. Also, in college, club rush is a thing where all the clubs that are in the college come out and set up tables for freshmen to look around and determine what kinds of clubs, they would have an interest in joining. College is the era of people's lives where they experiment with what kind of fun they love and want in life. Whether it may be being an extrovert, partying out, or being an introvert, finding enjoyment in the quiet of their own homes or dorms.
Melany, an alumnus from Greenfield Highschool tells The Bruin’s Eye, “I went to parties, football games, and joined a club and it overall did make my college experience the best ever.” Take the advice of a former undergraduate student and try to attend and join countless events to create that amazing college life. Anything can make someone’s college experience the best even if it is the crazy things many college students do. The things our fellow Bruin alumni did are just one of the few activities that come with attending college. These fun experiences are not one of the only reasons to attend a college but should rather be benefits. Melany informs our reporters at The Bruin’s Eye, “I would not recommend partying every night and not doing homework because of you doing fun things instead.” The fun experiences are more of a privilege rather than a right. The education that colleges provide should always come first in a college student’s daily tasks rather than going to parties or games, however, the activities are perks.
How to Mentally Prepare
Preparing before college starts can be great for many students because it can calm down anxiety or fear of entering a new era of their lives. It is normal for students to feel as if they are not put together enough for college and that can lead to stress and overthinking in many incoming freshmen. Even after freshman year at college, students may still feel as if they are not prepared for classes or adult life yet. Learning all about college and how student life will be can help ease that feeling of not being prepared. Also, looking into prices of everything from textbooks, apartments/dorms, classes, and enrollment can help to ease the feeling of uncertainty. The online web article, 12 Things Every Student Should Do the Summer Before College, summarizes visiting campus, earning money, connecting with a new roommate if there will be one, attending orientation, spending time with friends and family, sending final transcripts, arranging finances, etc. are some things to do the summer before going to college to prepare for this new life.
Former Bruin, Daniela Zavala, a Hartnell student, informs the The Bruin’s Eye, “I wasn’t nervous to start Hartnell since I knew Hartnell has a good community...I also did FAFSA as well as other grants.” Daniela prepared herself before starting college, which helped her prepare herself mentally by not causing too much stress or fear for herself. It is important for current seniors to start now preparing themselves for college as to help their future selves mentally. Some advice Daniela gives to current Bruin seniors is, “Pay attention to the deadlines for FAFSA, scholarships, grants, etc. You should be prepared with the paperwork that you need to fill out those forms.” All seniors should listen to this advice since it is being given by someone who went through the whole process already and seems to be okay with her college life. College can be stressful and the whole procedure can be time consuming, however finally living and enjoying life in college will all be worth it.