Hey, guys! So I started college on August 22nd. It has officially been a month, so I am writing an update. Ironically, the picture above is from high school. I haven’t taken any this month and this is a nice picture that no one has seen before, so I went with it. This post is for me to read in a few years, so expect a lot of babbling. Enjoy.
//Classes
Overall, I really love my classes. I was worried about taking a lot of liberal arts and social science classes last summer, but I’m not having any problems. This is probably because Psychology and Anthropology are full of science lessons like evolution, genetics, neuroscience…so I’m not just studying articles and reading long passages. Here’s a little more detail on my classes.
- Religious Studies-This is one of those classes knew I’d want to take in college. It always seemed like an interesting subject to me. I’m really glad that my teacher focuses on many religions, not just Christianity. I heard that many teachers are biased to teach only about that one religion. I also like that my teacher really doesn’t hold back. She showed us a video of circumcision done in a Synagogue (They don’t give anesthesia to the babies! They can feel everything!) and a Hindu cremation where the eldest son had to set fire to his father’s mouth. The unit I’m most excited about is about how religion affects the concept of the “purity of the teen girl.” Overall, the class is very interesting. (Fun Fact-My teacher is a direct descendant of John Adams)
- English II-I totally lucked out on this class because it’s not reading based. It’s podcast based. Instead of having to read ten-page articles for homework, I listen to podcasts. It’s a nice change of pace. At the end of the semester, we have to record a podcast instead of writing an essay. I was a bit nervous about this at first, but now I’m excited. (Note: It will never seem normal to call your professor by their first name, even if they ask you to.)
- Psychology– This class is a lot of fun. My professor here is not as laid back as the others, but I can tell she takes teaching seriously (which is a good thing). I wasn’t sure if she liked me until yesterday. I don’t like the people in my class, though. They talk too much. Oh! And also, I have to participate in research studies. They are a part of my grade. (Scientists make psych majors their guinea pigs) I already have two credit hours. I need four more.
- Government– The reading for this class has been really piling up. It’s becoming a bit exhausting. I am doing really well in this class. I got an A on the last exam. My professor is also really nice. Every class, we do a fun activity, so it’s not like she drones about things we learned in first grade. Surprisingly, I have learned a lot of new things in this class that I didn’t know before. I’m glad it hasn’t been a complete waste of time. We also get extra credit for voting. (I didn’t know where to stick that in, so I put it here.)
- Anthropology– I would say that this is my favorite class this year. At one point, a few years ago, I wanted to major in it. (There are actually a whole lot of careers in this field. In fact, the president of the World Bank is an anthropologist.) Basically, anthropology is the study of humankind in all times and all places. So far, we’ve been focusing on biological anthropology, so we’ve learned a lot about evolution and genetics. Also, monkeys. Don’t forget monkeys. Or should I say primates? I shall insert a picture of a cute monkey below. I’m most excited about the cultural unit. There’s also a lesson about how the concept of marriage came about and why polygamy made sense at a certain point in time. My professor is really nice and a good teacher. She’s from England, so she has an accent, but it’s not too thick. We can understand what she’s saying.
//The Commute
The commute honestly doesn’t feel that bad. It’s pretty long, though. At least an hour. When I leave the house after traffic time, on a good day, it can take me 17 minutes to drive to the train station, around half an hour on the train, then a ten-minute walk. Of course, I live in Atlanta, so traffic is pretty unpredictable. Whenever I leave the house at traffic time, it takes maybe 35 minutes to drive to the station.
This may seem horrible to you, but I really don’t mind. For one thing, driving long distances isn’t that weird in the south. Metro-Atlanta isn’t that bad. In Texas, it’s completely normal to drive an hour to get to where you want to go, so a half an hour drive is a cinch.
I really enjoy riding a train every day. I appreciate how clean Marta is (Don’t get me wrong. It’s still public transportation) because I used the subway so much in New York last summer. The trains are way nicer here. (Of course, there aren’t as many.) I’m glad I don’t get motion sickness when I read on the train, otherwise, I’d be so bored. It’s nice to be able to read an hour a day.
Overall, I don’t mind the commute, but I probably should get a place in the city next year. We’ll see how that goes.
//On Living With My Parents
During High School, the thought of living with your parents during college seems like the end of the world, but once it happens, it really doesn’t matter. A week into my Freshman year, I couldn’t imagine moving out. I’m the dork who thinks her parents are cool, but that’s not the reason.
It’s nice to be taken care of. I don’t have to worry about having dinner ready or paying bills. Just thinking of the debt I would have accrued living in a dorm makes me feel better. Also, Mysoon wouldn’t have been able to handle it if I had left abruptly. He runs to the door when he sees my car coming.
I also don’t feel bad about my situation because my parents treat me with respect. They see me as an adult and treat me that way (within reason, of course). They don’t check in with me as much as before. This is probably the biggest reason why I’m enjoying living with them. (That and they’re my parents and I love them.)
Related – How To “Survive” Living With Your Parents In College
//Social Life
On the first day of school, I literally sat in a corner of the library and read. I didn’t talk to anybody. I didn’t put any effort into making friends. In honest truth, a lot of the social aspects of college happen after class. People go back to their dorm rooms and hang out there.
I don’t really mind this though. This month of school has really reminded me of how introverted I am. Now that I am more accustomed to school, I’ve made friends. It’s nice to have people to talk to; I just prefer being alone for the most part. This is partly because when I hang out with people, I’m not as productive about finishing my work. I try to finish all my school work while I’m on campus so that I can relax at home. When I hang out with friends, I don’t study as much as I should. This is not really a bad thing. I do spend time with people, just not as much as in high school.
It’s also a lot harder for commuters to join clubs. Most club meetings are in the evenings, and I don’t want to stay in Atlanta till ten just for a club. If you don’t mind this, joining clubs is a great way to make friends as a commuter.
I go to the gym almost every day. I take classes and work out. Sometimes, I take a friend. I don’t try to make friends at the gym because no one wants to talk to people while they’re working out. I certainly don’t.
Most colleges group freshmen with other freshmen in the first semester. I am not a part of that program because I’m transferring, so most of my classes are mixed in with upperclassmen and transfers. I actually like this better. For one thing, I don’t have to add a useless one-hour class once a week where I talk to other people. (I actually wanted to take the class for this, but I wasn’t able to). I’m also surrounded by so many different types of people. Instead of being grouped with people my age with the same major, I’m surrounded by people who have different interests. Some are in their thirties going back to school. Some are taking courses I’ve never even heard of. This is what I most enjoy about college.
Honestly, I don’t have many friends yet. Or close friends, at least, which is fine with me. Right now, I have a group of interesting people I talk to whenever I see them, and I’m okay with that. Every Friday, I meet up with a close friend from elementary school. That’s really the only person I hang out with on a regular basis.
//Studies + Homework
I personally think college is easy, but that’s because I went to a really rigorous high school. College has less homework, but you are expected to study more. This is something most incoming Freshmen don’t understand.
I knew what was coming, so I studied every day. This is the reason I’ve gotten A’s on every test and quiz I’ve received (*Squeals in her head with happiness*). This is not an easy feat. The best thing any college student can do is figure out their studying style. I know what works and doesn’t work for me, which is why I study more efficiently.
Also, go to class. Someone somewhere is spending a lot of money for you to be there, so don’t waste it.
//In General
Overall, I really love college. I love the freedom I have and only having 3 hours of classes per day. I love having access to a gym and working out every day.
On another note: I started bringing my lunch two days into college. I was tired of waiting in line at restaurants for food and spending so much money. I chose not to get a commuter meal plan because it wasn’t worth it to me. I prefer bringing lunch to school 3-4 times a week. I also keep a ton of snacks in my bag with me, otherwise, I’ll use the vending machine more times than it’s worth. (Random Comment-Tuesdays are Sushi day)
What else is there to talk about….Oh! So on the second week of school, I got a $1500 grant. The computer system went berserk apparently and refunded all my money and dropped my classes. I ended up having to go early in the morning and spend an hour talking to administration and fixing this. That wasn’t the loveliest memory. Oh, well. I got free money.
So in conclusion, College is awesome. It’s all it’s cracked up to be. I’m not even going through the “full” college experience and I’m lovin’ it (I just realized that’s the McDonald’s motto). I’ll do a mid-year update in December. I would do a mid-semester update, but that’s in two weeks and I doubt anything will change.
Well, with that, I guess I’m done.
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How has your first month of college been? Have you done anything interesting?