Studying Amongst The Social Pressures of College

The transition from high school to college is daunting.

What with moving away from home, entering into a new social structure, and having a weekly schedule rather than daily, there is much to be said for the social and environmental changes – from who to eat with, which rooms are hangout spots and which are off limits, and if any of these are even accessible. This transition from the relative social stability of high school to initial chaos is why many students underestimate the amount of self-control that must be enacted to succeed academically in college.

The day-to-day, 7 -hour schedules of high school are dead, and the sooner that becomes apparent, the better. Choosing classes can be both a blessing and a curse; whilst total control belongs to the student, so does fault if any classes are superfluous to GE or upper division requirements. Along these same lines, it is up to the student to decide how busy or relaxed any given day is, whilst having Friday free might seem like a popular option, it means more classes throughout the rest of the week. As for the daily schedule: each to their own, in this sense meaning that 8 A.M. classes should be reserved for the students who can actually make it to 8 A.M. classes. Yes, college students are adults, and each student answers to themselves rather than any professor or parent.

This same logic applies to homework and reading. Reading is huge in college. In fact many classes consist only of weekly reading and a final exam. Keeping motivated in a task many students mistakenly take for granted. It’s easy to forget to read a chapter in, say, the Playbook of Progressives by Mann when Professor So-and-So neglects to check if said reading was performed.

As for homework: the daily homework of high school is a thing of the past; homework in general though, is not. With so many social opportunities at campuses all over the nation it is easy to push homework off to the day/night/hour before class. This is a mistake. It is easy to forget assignments when homework is assessed relatively close to the class and since most classes have few-to-none graded assignments, each one is a precious addition to the overall grade point average.

Many students feel too busy on the weekends to focus on studies, but taking a Sunday in the library to read for the week ahead is as useful to students as a heart transplant to a car-accident victim.

Many young people will get the taste of freedom and neglect their studies for a more hedonistic lifestyle, but education is an indispensable asset. College is what each individual makes it to be, both socially and academically. It takes a conscious effort to discipline oneself to take one’s education into their own hands, but it is necessary for success.