Before I got to college, everyone adult told me the transition to college will be a difficult path full of challenges and triumphs. I did not know what they meant, but as freshman year went by, I slowly realized the extent of their warning, freshman year kicked me in the ass!
I remember when I first moved in, I was a pretty awkward kid and I struggled to meet new people. Back home, I went to school with the same people I had known since kindergarten so I wasn’t too used to introducing myself to unfamiliar faces. The week before classes started, I moved in along with 500 people I was unfamiliar with in my residential college and I was overwhelmed with all the new names and faces so I stayed in my shell. But as I progressed through the year, I slowly but surely eased into the social situation, and met hundreds of new people a vast variety of backgrounds, experiences, and valuable lessons to learn from each and everyone one of them.
As a freshman, I learned the hard way that my routine for doing homework and studying in high school would not work at USC. In high school, I would do everything last minute and skate by with a good grade. I tried doing that first semester, and I got my butt kicked by all my classes and it was rough! When second semester rolled around, I buckled down and did assignments early, went to office hours, prepared for exams ahead of time, and most importantly, I studied in groups for hard exams. Study groups are the most important way to get a good grade in a class, because you are not only being taught concepts you don’t understand by your peers, but you also solidify your understanding of the subject matter by teaching it to a friend!
Looking back to freshman year, I made so many mistakes and immature decisions, but if I were to go back in time I would not change a thing. Those mistakes are what made me grow into a more responsible and mature student, and will prepare my for the trials and tribulations of my future years as a college student!
