Reflective Essay on Characteristics of College Life

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No student wants to perform poorly in academics. However, poor academic performance is becoming increasingly common. So, what if you unexpectedly fail a course? Does it mean the end of your dream of emerging as the best graduating student of your department? Absolutely not! Under such an unexpected scenario, the first thing to do is to accept responsibility. No matter how difficult the class may be, no matter how bad the professor may be in giving his or her lecture, the truth remains that you are entirely responsible for your failure. So you must first and foremost accept responsibility and then commit yourself to a plan to change.

Whether your grades dropped, you're failing a class, or you're simply not achieving your target grade, it is never too late or too early to apply certain changes to your studying habits. Don’t ever give up or be taken aback. There are still several ways through which you can remain on track.

Firstly, try to pay more attention when the lesson is going on. In most cases, professors normally give some hints on areas students ought to concentrate on prior to exams. Also, ensure that you adequately understand the topics being taught by the professors instead of going home and struggling to make sense out of what was taught in the class. Secondly, always ask questions whenever you are confused during the lectures. Thirdly, take notes when the lecture is still in progress. Such notes can be a useful source of information when you are still preparing for exams. Lastly, make sure to do some revisions before the exam day. In this case, you have to review your notes and books and you should even take some mock exams. Mock exams help you to realize which areas you need to work harder on. You must also avoid procrastination and shun writing your essay the night before the due date. Doing your assignment at the last hour will merely increase your workload and this will have a detrimental effect on your overall performance.

Lower than expected grades will leave you disappointed and you may end up feeling disappointed in yourself. However, such an attitude is not healthy for you. In the midst of all these uncertainties, it is very imperative to display a positive attitude toward learning. Thus, you must endeavor to defeat any depressive feeling with positivity. You must strive to approach any unexpected challenge positively. This is the surest way to change your situation for the better. In order to avoid any reoccurrence, you can go ahead and hire a private tutor, It is not a shameful thing to ask for help. In conclusion, the best way to deal with any unexpected situation is to accept responsibility and then work toward achieving more.

Secrets to early graduation from college

Currently, the yearly tuition fee for most top private colleges hovers around $60,000, while many public colleges cost up to $50,000 per year. With financial aid. a considerable proportion of students have been able to minimize the cost of their education. Another obvious way to minimize college costs is by graduating early from the institutions. For instance, you can save tens of thousands of dollars by finishing in college in three or three and half years.

How is this possible? Colleges typically consist of four classes per semester. Thus, in every academic session, you are most likely to take eight classes. In order to graduate early. all you have to do is to acquire eight classes worth of credit. There are various ways you can accomplish this. Firstly, your early graduation from college can possibly begin in high school. In fact, high school is the best place to prepare adequately for early graduation. In some high schools, the students can take college-level courses for actual credit. This is usually carried out in conjunction with some community colleges. If you take one or two college classes in high school, you may no longer be required to take those courses in college. Additionally, you can possibly get a few general education requirements out of the way so you can pursue classes in your chosen field.

Another secret to early graduation from college is to take as many AP courses as possible. In many American colleges, a high score of 4 and 5 will earn you course credit, without you actually having to take the relevant classes on campus. You can also enjoy this benefit by taking IB courses and some other advanced placement exams. In some colleges, there are placement exams in subjects like math, language, and writing. If you are able to fulfill the requirements specified by these placement exams, you may be able to graduate early, Another secret to early graduation from college is to participate in community college courses for general education classes like psychology, writing, introduction, and history. In many cases, the course credits acquired from these courses are transferable. Thus, if you have the dream of graduating early from college, you must enroll in such courses and acquire as many credits as possible. However, you must first check with the Registrar to confirm the courses that are transferable. Lastly, you can boost your chances of graduating early from college by taking the maximum number of credits that is permissible in every semester. With strong work ethic, you can gain more course credits than the average student.

Things to do before you graduate college

Even though college is primarily an institution of higher learning, it can actually be a place of fun. There are lots of recreational and fun activities that are specifically designed for your social wellbeing. Consequently, there are many things many students want to do before graduating from college. This ranges from streaking to blind dating. In this section, a list of wild things many students do before graduating from college is presented. This list will guide every student through the events of the next year, irrespective of whether they have been too outrageous or composed. As a student, you always have to remember that college is the best time of your life.

Thus, you must strive to make the most of it.

Below are wild things, which you may want to do before graduating from college.

  1. ** You have to get yourself mentally and physically prepared for the madness that is known as a senior week. It is advisable to take full advantage of all of the senior week activities for the fun of it.
  2. “+ Youcan have a sleepover with your friends because chances are you'll never live in such close proximity again,
  3. ** Have a good cry session with your best friends.
  4. • Do a stupid college thing that you typically wouldn't do.
  5. ** Go ahead and doa keg stand, because it won't look as cute when you're 40,
  6. “+ Participate in one school tradition. It could be the undie run, block parties, or fountain run, etc.
  7. “+ Take a snap with your school mascot. You will want to save these pictures for your kids in the future.
  8. ** Take aclass that has nothing to do with your major.
  9. ** Sneak onto the highest roof on campus and enjoy the nature that surrounds your college
  10. “* Dedicate one Saturday to party with your friends. 118
  11. “+ Pull an all-nighter for non-academic reasons.
  12. ** Offer free hugs in the middle of your quad
  13. ** Get decked out in your school colors and go to homecoming.
  14. ** Burst into your school's fight song at a campus bar. Watch as the entire bar sings along.
  15. • Attend a student protest or demonstration
  16. ** Cram 50 people in your tiny dorm room for a surprise birthday party.
  17. “+ Go to an open mic, Get inspired and perform something.
  18. ** Go to at least one campus a cappella concert, one college improve show, and one major student-run theater production.
  19. ** Take a campus tour of your own campus.

Stupid things students do that can prevent early graduation

There are lots of issues that can trigger poor academic performance among college students. Some of these can be the various stupid things usually carried out unconsciously by students. Since it is the ultimate objective of every student to study hard and come out of college in flying colors, it is imperative to look at those actions that can prevent one from graduating early from college, which incidentally are associated with unsuccessful students. So, what are those foolish behaviors that must be avoided by any college students that want to graduate early?

Firstly, unsuccessful students are known to seldom interact with their instructors or answer questions in class. This is a very bad behavior that may make it impossible for you to graduate early from college.

Secondly, it is also bad to prioritize non-academic issues like organization activities, job obligations, personal issues, etc., instead of focusing primarily on your academics. Such a strategy will only make you fall some courses and spend more years in college.

Unsuccessful students are known not to take responsibility for their academic failures. Unfortunately, such action can be detrimental to their quest to graduate early from college. If you fail any course, don’t shift the blame to other people, instead you should accept your mistakes and adopt strategies that will enable you to avoid any repetition,

Not paying absolute attention during lectures is another bad habit that will inevitably result to failure and delay your graduation from college. Some students exhibit the habit of playing with the media devices when the lecture is still going on. Such distraction will definitely make it impossible for you to concentrate in your note-taking or participation in ongoing discussions or lectures. Not only do such activities distract students from learning the course material that is being covered, but sends a powerful negative message to instructors about the commitment and discipline of the student.

Engaging in academic dishonesty is another stupid action that can prevent college students from graduating early. These include doing cut/paste from online sources, copying homework assignments and use of irrelevant references. Apart from robbing students of learning opportunities, these activities make it impossible for students to feel academically adequate. Above all, engaging in academic dishonesty exposes one to the risk of expulsion from the university.

Last submission of your assignments and papers is another stupid behavior that can delay your graduation from college. Delay and procrastination are well-known characteristics of unsuccessful students, Waiting for the last minute to begin your assignment will inevitably result to shoddy work, which may cause a significant loss of marks.

Not visiting your professors during their office hours is another bad behavior that may delay your graduation from college. This is because regular visitation will enable you to obtain some vital information that could possibly fast-track your graduation from college.

Poor attendance is another common mistake made by most students. If you truly want to graduate early and successfully from college as early as possible, you must endeavor to attend all the classes. The fact that your tutor doesn’t take roll call is not a good reason to miss your class. Instead, you can get useful information that may be instrumental to your graduation during lectures.

Any action that demonstrates poor time management skills is not only stupid, but also capable of delaying your graduation. As a college student, the numerous academic works and responsibilities may overwhelm you at one point in time. Consequently, it is very imperative to learn how to manage your time efficiently.

Another bad habit is over-reliance on other students. It is not very wise to depend exclusively on your friends’ notes for the lecture or rely on study groups for understanding what a lecture is all about. Study groups should serve as an effective technique for exam preparation but not as a medium of clarification. If you have any section of a lecture that is confusing to you, try and meet with your professor.

Lastly, it is unwise to treat college as a four-day activity that lasts from Monday to Thursday. Students with this perception usually attend the Friday class with their main focus on the weekend activities. For them, Friday and Sunday are for doing fun things. But the truth

remains that college is actually a full-time commitment that requires between 40-45 hours per week of class and out-of-class preparation, You should even consider Sunday evening as a school night.

Pros and cons of early graduation from college

Many undergraduates are taking huge advantages of taking AP and summer courses to finish up their higher education a considerably shorter time. Of course, there are advantages and disadvantages of graduating early from college. So, before considering early graduation, it is very imperative to consider the pros and cons of early graduation from college.

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Pros of early graduation from college

An increasing number of college students are embracing early graduation from college as a result of the huge benefits that is associated with not following the traditional four-year model. Obviously, some of these factors may probably be among what motivate you to join the chorus.

The commonest pros of graduating early from the college are discussed as follows:

Saving on tuition costs- This is probably the main factor that motivates many to graduate early from college. In reality, early graduation from college can save tens of thousands of dollars for you, which is good with the skyrocketing costs of tuition. Such techniques enable you to avoid the issue of student debt, which has affected many students. Therefore, it is wise to avoid such a burden through early graduation.

Start job hunting as early as possible-Students who graduate early enough often have more time to prepare and get good job interviews. This is particularly true of December grads. By spring of the following year, such grads are most likely to have gotten a full-time position in a 122 reputable firm, Generally, early graduation also avails much time for writing cover letters and submitting job applications to various vacancies. The competition is typically lesser as you won't have to deal with the huge number of graduates that will be applying for that same position by April and May.

Boost your real-life resume experiences: The extra semester you would have spent in the class can be used to gather other life experiences such as full-time internships, travel abroad, and volunteer work. Graduating early gives you more impressive credentials to set your resume apart from tons of other hopefuls because it shows that you're dedicated, hard-working, and able to quickly accomplish your goals.

Cons of early graduation from college

Despite the numerous advantages of graduating early from college, there are still few demerits confronting early grads. Thus, it is also imperative to consider the two faces of the coin before taking a decision on the exact path to follow. The most popular disadvantages of graduating early from college are discussed as follows:

Having to deal with loan repayment- Banks will start calling you for loan repayments as soon as you are out of school. As a new graduate that is just out of school, this can be quite overwhelming for you. Thus, if you intend to graduate from college early, you must endeavor to use the last semester to work out a detailed payment schedule and financial plan for your future.

Not having enough access to the University Career Resources- Early graduation from college implies not having access to university resources, as well as. alumni networks that can be very helpful in linking students to prestigious job openings. In many colleges, online job databases, internship programs and career fairs are majorly available to students that are engaged on full- time basis. It is quite unfortunate that the majority of students are unaware of these programs, until after graduation. It becomes even more painful when you are among those that graduate early from college.

Having to leave friends and college fun earlier- There is a popular saying that college life is the best type of life. If this is true, then it means early graduation implies cutting this out quicker than you would have otherwise. By graduating early, you may feel like you missed out on some of the fun. Additionally, early graduation may also imply having less time to make memories with your college friends. Of course, missing out on senior send off events and other exclusive senior traditions are almost inevitable, too.

Add to senior stress: Many majors require final Capstone projects and all-college maturity requirements mandate that students must take twelve 300-level credits during senior year. While achievable, pulling these off in one semester isn't exactly a breeze. Thus, you may end up subjecting yourself to lots of pressure in your quest to graduate early from college.

Dealing with your long-distance relationship

Life in college can be so hectic, as you unarguably have to deal with task of settling down and becoming accustomed to the chaotic lifestyle on campus. Under such situation, dealing with the strain of keeping a long-distance relationship becomes a problem. Despite the great difficulty in keeping such relationships alive, many students have no option but to give it a trial.

Some students are convinced they have found their true love and that they are definitely going to settle down as a married couple. If you happen to be among this category of students, how can you deal with this issue of a long-distance relationship? In this section, we provide practical-oriented tips on how you can deal with long-term relationships. These are discussed as follows:

Maintain a thoughtful connection: One effective way to sustain a long-distance relationship is by maintaining a thoughtful connection with your partner. You can accomplish this by sending a hand - written love note in the mail. Even though this is an old-fashioned technique, it is nevertheless effective in keeping the long-stance relationship alive. Additionally, such techniques more romantic and also feel more personal than the use of text messages and emails. You should endeavor to forward such messages once every couple of weeks alongside chocolates, flowers, gift baskets, and balloons.

Be positive: You can keep a long-distance relationship alive by focusing on the positive aspect of your separation. Research has indicated that couples that appreciate the positive aspects of their separation are more likely to remain together. As a college student, the positive aspect of this situation is to concentrate on taking advantage of educational opportunities, concentrating on your personal growth, and looking forward to reuniting with your significant other.

Be busy: Don’t waste your time expecting a text message or email from your heartthrob. You may end up getting frustrated and unnecessarily suspicious. Instead, stay busy by hanging out with friends, volunteering, joining clubs etc. Such companionship will help to strengthen your relationship and minimize the detrimental effects of depression and loneliness typically experienced by most individuals that are in a long-distance relationship.

Maintain the dates: In order to keep your long-distance relationship alive, you should try to keep all the telephone and online dates as scheduled. Such promptness enables your sweetheart to understand how you truly appreciate the time you spends together with her or him. Setting up the dates in advance builds excitement.

Share something in common with your heartthrob: You can have a long-distance movie date with your heartthrob. This can be done through the telephone. Some long-distance partners like to rent the same movie and consequently have something to discuss with together.

Use the webcam: It is actually great to talk with your lover on the phone. However, using modern technologies like webcam and video call have their own unique advantages. Fortunately, many of these services are offered free of charge by firms like Skype. Whatsapp, and even Facebook. You can spice things up by dressing up for your webcam dates. Try to schedule webcam chats every other night or so at specific times.

Visit them: No matter how tedious your academic work may be, it is imperative to plan a visit and get together with your significant other as much as possible.

Space to grow: Above all, you have to give each other some space to grow as individuals. Coincidentally, this is just like everything else in college, as it concentrates on growth and learning. Always accept change and don’t allow your relationship to limit you.

28 mistakes college students make

College is supposed to be some of the greatest years of a person’s life. It is a great time to make new friends, party hard, and improve your overall life skills. Even though you may probably strive for straight A’s, you're bound to make mistakes. As a college student, you are absolutely responsible for yourself. Thus, it is very imperative that you mature a lot faster now that you are 126 on your own. Of course, you are bound to make some mistakes but while some mistakes can be avoided with a little common sense, others can be used as lessons.

Here is a list of mistakes college students may make:

  1. “+ Treating college classes like high school classes
  2. “+ Partying on Sundays
  3. ** Not getting to know your professors
  4. “+ Spending loan money inappropriately
  5. ** Missing your classes
  6. “* Not taking advantage of the library
  7. “+ Not taking advantage of free things
  8. ** Not reading the syllabus
  9. ** | Majoring in something based on pay and not passion ** Taking on more than you can handle
  10. “+ Trying to maintain your high school relationships ** Racking up credit card debt
  11. “* Not meeting with Academic Advisers
  12. “* Making poor academic decisions
  13. ** Missing out on scholarships
  14. “+ Abusing credit cards
  15. • Not filling out applications for Federal Student Aid ** Being disorganized
  16. “+ Not maintain a budget 127
  17. “+ Skipping work
  18. “+ Misusing student loans
  19. ** Going out or partying regularly
  20. “+ Having a car on campus when you cannot afford its maintenance
  21. “+ Overspending on housing
  22. “+ Failing to think outside of the box
  23. “+ Spending too much time on social media platforms, such as, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
  24. ** Procrastination, especially in regard to doing class assignments.

Remaining motivated throughout your college life

Basically, motivation is defined as an impulse, which prompts us to execute and accomplish what we propose. In other words, motivation is the motor that moves our world. It is crucial for your academic success as lack of motivation has been associated with difficulty in studying and staying focused. Students that have no motivation usually lack the internal impulse that prompts hardworking scholars to take action for academic excellence.

Without motivation, there won't be any action. Motivation is necessary because it is what causes us to be proactive in our quest to seck resources that can guarantee our success. Therefore, for you to succeed in your academics, you must try to remain motivated throughout your college life. This is because motivation improves initiative, cognitive processing skills efforts, persistence, and overall performance of students. In this section, we provide a detailed description of how you can remain motivated throughout your entire college life.

What should be my source of motivation as a student?

As a student, you can only remain motivated throughout your college life, when you are fully aware of what your source of motivation should be. So what are those factors you should always look up to as your basis of inspiration? Well, such factors must relate to your main objectives of coming to the college in the first place. So the right elements of motivation should be goals, future earning goals, high-grade point average (GPA), and plans for an advanced or additional degree. A critical look at these factors revealed that GPA, advanced degree, and future earning

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Reflective Essay on Characteristics of College Life. (2022, August 12). Edubirdie. Retrieved April 20, 2024, from https://edubirdie.com/examples/reflective-essay-on-characteristics-of-college-life/
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Reflective Essay on Characteristics of College Life. [online]. Available at: <https://edubirdie.com/examples/reflective-essay-on-characteristics-of-college-life/> [Accessed 20 Apr. 2024].
Reflective Essay on Characteristics of College Life [Internet]. Edubirdie. 2022 Aug 12 [cited 2024 Apr 20]. Available from: https://edubirdie.com/examples/reflective-essay-on-characteristics-of-college-life/
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