The media had us grow up on the idea that “The College Experience” is when you move away from home, live on campus, and immerse yourself in a new environment where you end up changing into a new person after 4 years. High school guidance counselors had us under the impression that “The College Experience” involves scary professors that don’t care about your well-being, assign crazy amounts of work, and the content will require all your brain power. While both perspectives sound like opposite sides of the spectrum, in my opinion I think real “The College Experience” lies somewhere in between.
I didn’t literally live on campus in my 4 years at Rutgers—Camden, but I did spend so much time there that it was basically as if I lived there. My earliest classes started at 8:00AM and I commuted to school by taking the PATCO train. Add the fact that I like to be early to things to acclimate myself, I’d be on campus at 7:30AM most days. The latest class I’ve ever taken ended at 9:30PM and the latest event I’ve attended ended around 12:00AM (Chinatown Night Market). In between classes and events, I stayed on campus to work out at the gym, study in the library, or hang out with friends. Sleeping in a building in the bubble of campus didn’t determine my college experience, immersing myself fully into my environment every day did. If I just went to class and went back to my room (on or off campus), then I don’t think I would’ve had much of a college experience.
Meanwhile, the number of courses you decide to take determines the amount of course work you will take on. The most courses I’ve taken was 6 in one semester (not including labs because I think the lab + lecture courses actually feel like 2 courses). However, I did not drown in assignments or lose sleep because my professors were evil and out to get me. Most professors understand the amount of stress students are under, so it’s important to communicate if you’re struggling. I made strong connections with some of my professors when I sent them drafts of papers, asked them questions, and told them how I was feeling in the course. Plus, not only is it important to learn the material you’re studying, but also learn about yourself along the way. Some courses may have a lot of assignments that may seem demanding at first, but I learned strategies to manage my time and prioritize my work to help my brain out.
At the end of the day, “The College Experience” is what you make of your time in college. Not everyone’s experience is the same and that’s the beauty of it. So I wish you all the best of luck making the most of your time in college! Get involved! Study smart! Have fun!
Written by Arianna F., a Rutgers—Camden Undergraduate Student and Raptor Ambassador.