College Life

[Emmettroselover]

I am about to start grad school in the fall. I will be attending the same university I went to for my BA and will be living in the dorms again which I am excited about. I love living on campus and the dorm experience, but will admit my dorm experience is not like most. I have a single room, no roommate, and only share a bathroom with one other person, so in a lot of ways it is like living in an apartment except I have a meal plan and do not have to worry about cooking. I have very fond memories of college. I graduated in December of 2008 with my BA in Journalism. I fell in love with the books in October that year and was still on my Twilight film kick at the time. I dragged a guy friend to see Twilight with me the night before I graduated....even though I had seen it at least 15 times by then.

This time around I will be getting my MA in English Literature. It will be interesting because it will be my first semester as a grad student, but I also plan on attending the BD premiere in LA so I will be juggling a lot. Hopefully it all works out and I plan on checking out this topic from time to time, especially when I get to school. Right now it is about enjoying summer, trying to plan for the eight hour drive I must take to school, and the mere thought of packing makes me cringe. Oh well, that is the life of a college student in August.

[BlueCitrus]

BlueCitrus~ I keep hearing from many people that college isn't like high school because you really have to focus and depend on yourself to get work done.
Yes I'll be living on campus. My university requires that I live in the dorms my freshman year. I'll be moving approximately an hour away from home which I guess isn't too bad.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

It really isn't. I learned the hard way that professors don't tell you to do the readings, even at the beginning of the semester--but test material comes from it. You have to want to do your work, because nobody is forcing you to do it. Most of the work you do really is for your own good, it's not being marked but its necessary -- so you really do have to work harder and do work you're not assigned.

I asked because I can't do work at home, I have to be on campus -- usually the student centre or library to get work done. I didn't really get work done in my room either. My roommate was always coming and going bringing a bunch of people who are all too willing to distract you and "take a break" from studying/doing readings. If you have a single, your room is a pretty good spot because you can just lock your door and ignore the knocking while you're studying. I had a few friends with singles who did all their work in their room.

[Emmettroselover]

College is very different from high school. In high school, the teachers hold your hand more. They check to make sure you are doing your work and coming to class. It is not like that at most colleges. There are too many students for them to do that so if you do not come to class, that is on you. If you do not do your work, that is your issue, not theirs. You just have to remember that it is a new chapter in your life and you have to actually want to be there. In high school, you could just go through the motions to get by. In college, you have to make an effort or you are in for a rude awakening. That does not mean that you have to listen to all the horror stories. Getting my Bachelor's was a lot of fun and I enjoyed the experience. You just have to go in with the right mindset. I always try to go by, work hard, play even harder later. Do your work and then go enjoy campus life. It is important to balance both.

[smitten_by_twilight]

The Staff of Alice’s Party Planning Committee are pleased to invite you to

A Celebration of the Fifth Year of Forever - The Fifth Wedding Anniversary of
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen and Isabella Marie Swan Cullen

An All-Week Woodland Event beginning Saturday, August 13th, 2011
In the White Mountains National Forest in New Hampshire
(contained for the week within the Alice’s Party Planning Committee topic)

Weather is predicted to be cool and overcast with possible thunderstorms. Sport equipment will be available.
Look for the Anniversary Bower in the Dartmouth Range.

Bring tents, if desired, and personal items. Bears are within easy hunting range. The Cullens request that you do not feed locally on humans. Human guests are encouraged to potluck.

We hope to see you there!

[21Twilight21]

Emmettroselover~ Wow your college experience sounds great ! I hope I enjoy it even though I have a roommate lol!
I'll try to remember that because the main reason I am going to college it to learn so I can get a good career that I will enjoy. I want to have fun in college, but I need to make sure I get my stuff done first.

BlueCitrus~ Ok that's good to know so that way I'll make sure to read even if it's not directly told to me. I'm hoping that since I'm learning how serious I have to take my work, that whenever I do start classes I'll be more prepared.
Now that you mention friends that like to "take a break" from studying, I will have to make sure I have time away from everyone so I can study. I have a few friends that don't care much for reading or studying and I don't want them to get in the way of my studying. I am usually the one who takes learning more seriously than them so hopefully I will continue to do what I am supposed to.

[Emmettroselover]

The main thing you have to remember is that everyone is different. There is no foolproof way to study, take tests, or enjoy college. It takes time to adapt to your university because every university and person is going to be different. Having a roommate can be a lot of fun. I had one my freshman year, but I am an only child who is used to having my own private space so once the option was available, I decided to get my own dorm room. Balance is the key. It is easy to get caught up in college life and forget about your studies, so you want to try to balance both and it will be a blast. Freshman year is a bit confusing for everyone because you are trying to get acclimated with the environment but it is also amazing because you become your own person and really learn a lot about what you like and dislike.

[21Twilight21]

Wow it's been so long since I last posted here :/ lol!

My first semester of college is over and it was such a fun experience! I met lots of new people and made some great friends ! I also lost one of my closest friends, but she's the one who drastically changed so I decided not to stress over it much! I miss her sometimes, but her friendship wasn't worth the stress! At first I thought things with my first roommate were going to work out, but later I started discovering things about her that she never told me! She was having some problems (mentally) and never told me about them! She got moved to a private room and I got a new roommate! My second and current roommate is great though ! She was roommates with my ex-friend and since they were having problems and we became close friends, we decided it would be okay for her to move into my room! We get along great and I'm really happy she's my roommate! Oh yeah and another thing I love about the roommate change.... the first one was a Twilight hater and the new one is a Twilight lover yay lol!
My classes were a bit tough (especially my English class!), but they weren't too stressful! I know I better enjoy it all why I can because I know once I get farther into my nursing degree it's going to keep getting tougher! I've already learned a lot throughout that first semester and I'm looking forward to my second semester in January!

I am currently enjoying my winter break back at home with my family

[♥midnight_sun♥]

Does anyone live in an apartment instead of student housing or on campus? My top college pick (Marylhurst University, I'm taking a gap year, so I'll be applying this fall and going next fall) doesn't have any type of student housing, and when the admissions office called me when I requested more information, they said that the students rent apartments in Portland, and then drive the 10-30 minutes (depending on how far into the city you are) to the college, which is about 10 minutes south of Portland. I've already looked at apartments to see about how much rent is each month, and the types of apartments for the area, but was wondering more what it's like living somewhere like that where not everyone in that building is a college student. I know that since I'd still have classes and such with others my age that I'll still have friends and have people that I hang out with and all that. I'm just wondering what the biggest differences would be at a place that doesn't have housing specifically for students? And should I think about trying to find a roommate or just go ahead and have my own apartment?

[21Twilight21]

I don't have much experience living in an apartment or home not specifically for college students, but a few friends and I are planning on finding a house/apartment in the fall. I think the most difficult part of being in an apartment would be the amount of noise that other people make or what they would be okay with, like if they do not want you to have so much noise coming from your place. I don't think it would be that much different living somewhere for the general public.