| Written by Aaron S. |
1. You’re going to feel like you don’t know what you’re doing for awhile.
Each day in college can be something unique, depending upon your schedule, your professors, your commute, and thousands of other variables. When you park your car or wake up on campus on your first day of classes, you may have no clue what to expect. This is a feeling you should get used to, because usually, just when you get into the swing of things at the end of each semester, in a few weeks you have to reset again.
2. Everyone is coming into college like a new student.
For a multitude of reasons, including the previous point, everyone coming into college as a first-year or even a transfer student is being exposed to a new environment with an entirely new character. So, take any extra pressure off of yourself to fit in and find your niche right away. As long as you’re true to yourself and who you want to be, you’ll succeed in ways you haven’t yet imagined.
3. There is a huge workflow difference between high school and college.
For me, the transition from high school to college was something I eased into. I took a year off between high school and starting my education at Rutgers–Camden. I used this time to work and find more out about what I wanted to do, (and just relax, too). But when I walked into my first class at Rutgers–Camden, I was relieved to find that I had finally ghosted the eight-period schedule. Teachers no longer breathe down your neck because they won’t care about your grades more than you do; however, some students struggle with the transition because they are used to a more rigid structure and have to adjust the way they approach their studies more drastically.
4. You will have to learn things on your own.
While having academic freedom is one of the greatest benefits of going to college, it is also the most initiative-demanding responsibility you’ll have. It’s a good idea to set personal learning goals aside from your homework and consider doing light research on topics on the syllabus just so that you know what you should be prepared for later in the semester. Speaking up in class, asking questions, and challenging answers are a couple of ways to internalize ideas from class.
5. It’s so much better than high school.
Since, in high school, many of us are subjected to the same monotonous schedule day-in and day-out, we become acclimated to that lifestyle and routine. Going to our lockers in between periods and eating lunch at the same time each day, going from Biology to English to Math to Gym, all become antiquated, outdated practices once you get into the flow of college.
6. APA and Chicago formatting.
“MLA! MLA! MLA!” If you were as unfortunate as I was, MLA style is about the only referencing format you’ll learn in high school. You’ll be surprised by how many other referencing formats there are once your professor puts on their syllabus “All papers must be formatted in APA style.” Reading this on my first day of class put me in a cold sweat. However, with helpful tools like Purdue OWL, EasyBib, and the Reference Desk in the Paul Robeson Library make writing and formatting papers much easier. Although you may still find yourself needing to use MLA style, the likelihood that you’ll be required to navigate both APA and Chicago style is very high.
7. Professors hate the bland “Five Paragraph Essay.”
No one outside of high school believes in the “Five Paragraph Essay.” It was a myth from the beginning.
8. Finding a job on campus—at Rutgers–Camden—is easy.
At Rutgers–Camden, almost all students are guaranteed a job on campus if they want one. Working on campus is much more convenient than working anywhere else because Rutgers–Camden employers take into consideration your class times and other obligations better than other employers.
9. You don’t have to live on campus to get the coveted “college experience.”
Many people are set on believing that the only way to get the “real college experience” is to live on campus. I argue that even most people that live on campus don’t truly get the college experience if they’re not involved. Participating in clubs, going to events, and volunteering are the three most enriching things you can do to ensure you’ll have a four-year college experience you’ll remember. Whether you live on or off campus, if the “college experience” is something you’re most concerned about having, get involved.
10. Your professors are here to help you.
Since the dawn of time, it seems, high school educators and counselors are determined to scare students into fearing college professors. Since coming to Rutgers–Camden and talking to each of my professors one-on-one, I’ve realized that they want me to succeed, more than anything. Professors offer opportunities to study, research, and even intern with them for their projects (and because Rutgers–Camden is a research university, they’re always working on something). These are great experiences for your academic development and are valuable additions to your resume.