Dwight Henderson12/12/2016College summitIf I could go back in time, and give myself advice for my first semester in college it would be to go to class more.
College was a mixture of various emotions. My first week at the University of Toledo, was memorable something I would never forget. I meet friends that I still have to this day and partied a lot. Living every young adults dream.
I became so accustomed to doing nothing that I didn’t feel completely ready when the first day of classes begun. I wasn’t prepared to wake up early and learn. Something I wish I did was go to class more, in the many semesters of college that I have left, I will try my best to attend every class. No matter how tired I am, there was times that I missed valuable information.
My first day of class I was really nervous about, I arrived on time and sat in the front. I would tell myself to always sit in the front and make eye contact with the teacher. Answer questions for participation points. Another piece of advice I would give myself is to not buy textbooks but to rent them, I noticed this year I rarely found myself using my teacher and only been assigned work in the text book from one class.
College has taught me what true independence is, I walked into college with the thought that my professors would be understanding, and encouraging which wasn’t the case. Many of my professors kept a business relationship with there students. Just a simple”hello”and work began. It was also hard to ask questions, I would tell my future self to go to the help centers and office hours to receive any extra information/help that I needed in class.
Another thing I wish I did was homework, important assignments I would do but simple homework I wouldn’t complete. The great thing about homework I learned later in the semester is that it helped me learn information that I didn’t understand. I often found myself learning more through homework than I did in class.Another point of advice I would give myself is that not everyone is your friend.
And I shouldn’t call everyone my friend. Or open up so easily and early. I meet people the first week of school who I thought would be my lifelong friends. I rarely speak so some of them anymore.
Talking to people is something that I wish I did more. I was always shy in some classes. There were times I could have spoken to people and got to know them better but I didn’t take the opportunity. Many people would visit others floor during welcome week and just simply talk to people and exchange contact information.
At the beginning of the semester I would never do that, thinking it would be awkward and weird to talk to other strangers with out having anything really in common with them.Looking back I also would tell myself to go to more school events. I would go to class the occasional party from time to time. But mostly I spent time at Parks tower.
Hanging out with people on my floor. I would go to sporting events sometimes, but I feel like that wasn’t enough for me. Free events on campus and de-stressers were something that I would miss out on. The clubs on campus I should have gotten more information some, its a easy way to meet people and expand your horizons on life.
College has taught me a lot, some good some bad. I wouldn’t do this semester over if I got paid to though. I will take the lessons and the blessings and continue to strive. Through hard work and grind it is possible.
I can now give advice to my siblings and friends who will be entering college in the fall. Letting them know how the good and bad of college to make there experience much better.
