Essay About Life Changes
I ended up here at Clarion University because I wanted to be near home. I live in Limestone Township which is about eight miles from campus. I am very close with my family and friends and it would have been difficult for me to leave them and focus on my academics at a farther away school. Also, I heard that the major I was interested in, had a good Speech Patholgy program at Clarion University. Compared to high school college is more challenging for me because I am faced with harder courses, I must focus on my time management, and I have more responsibility.
First, with the transition from high school to college, the courses I have are a lot more difficult for me. The English classes I took in high school were super easy for the most part. I only had to write one or two essays a year. The topics for the essays were given to us and explained exactly what needed to be included in our paper. For example, last year I was in English 12 and we wrote one essay the whole year. We focused mostly on reading books like Beowulf and the Women in Black, and tested on them. Here at college, English 110 is more of a challenge. I am expected to plan for my essay and what I am going to write in my paper. Also, I have more freedom of what my essay is going to be about, and that is something new I must adjust to.
Math is something that has never been my strong point throughout my years of school. In high school, math was taught thoroughly. The teachers at Clarion Limestone would teach the lesson and then assign homework immediately after. I had Mr. Craig in high school for a total of three years. He would always teach the topic, give example problems, and then we would have homework that night. He always explained the information thoroughly and more than once. In college I am introduced to something completely new. My professor, Dr. Dip, teaches math excursions in Math 112. He assigns us problems to do without introducing the information first. This is a challenge for me because I do not learn well that way. We are expected to ask questions to our peers to get help and to try and understand.
The classes for a Speech Pathology major come with a lot of information. I have two speech courses this semester, Speech Science and Introduction to Communication Disorders. The professors Dr. Mary-Pat and Dr. Dworek spend the hour providing us with PowerPoint notes. Each night I review the notes, and then read the chapter in the book. It is very overwhelming for me, because I have never experienced having to study this way. I always just studied the week of the exam, and now I must study all the time up to the exam. I have heard from previous college students and professors that it is the most effective and will help me out tremendously.
In particular, I have to adjust on how I focus on my time management. This year I have to use a planner to write down important due dates and exam dates. In high school, a planner was never something I had to count on. I always could keep track of test dates and homework. Test dates were always given out a week in advance. Here at college, I am given the exam dates two or three week ahead of time. Therefore, using the planner lets me keep track of when an exam is. Also, I use my planner to keep track of my homework. Every other day, my classes change. I use my planner to decipher which night I need to do what homework for the class. A planner is very convenient for me but is also challenging to keep track of.
Time Management Issue
Another reason I must focus on my time management is to schedule my studying time. Studying is very important in college. Every hour of class is two hours of studying. In high school I never had to study much, and when I did it was approximately twenty minutes. The classes I had to study for were for a majority, American Cultures and Biology. Most of the time I just had to look over material and that was it. Now in college I must make time to study. I must plan out when my study break will be in between classes, clubs, and family time. Scheduling a study time is key to being successful, and it is something I will adapt to as I go through college.
Scheduling time to study is important but making time for family and friends is crucial also. Spending time with family and friends helps me lower my stress, they always have good advice about college and how to handle it. Also, it is nice to just get a break from schoolwork and to just have a good time. Always continuously working on school is not healthy, it can cause me to be impatient with my friends and family. Balancing the life of family and school is difficult, but I will get better at it over time.
Responsibility Is Important
Finally, being at college I am given more responsibility. One of the most important is going to all my classes. If I miss a class here at Clarion University, I am responsible for all the work and information I missed. I have to email professors ahead of time, so I am not punished. In high school, if I missed school the teachers always came to me and told me what I had to make up. They made it super easy for us, and it did not help me prepare for college. If I miss one class at college, I feel super behind and my grade could be affected. Going to school every day is an adjustment that I will have to make.
Being a college student, I must watch how I use my money. In high school, I never had to pay for much. I paid for my gas, and when I went out with my friends. Sometimes we would go to the movies, or bowling. In college, I have a lot more things I need to pay for. I do not have enough time to get a job as a full time college student like I did in high school. Now I must use my money wisely. I have to pay for books for all of my classes. Also I commute a fifteen minute drive so I must save gas money. With joining the National Student Speech and Language Association club at the university it comes with some fees. I have to pay to join for the year, and pay for any clothing I might need or want. Managing how I spend my money is very important and it is nothing I ever had to worry about in the past.
Choosing Clarion University is decision I am very proud of. I am close to my home here in Limestone, and I am able to communicate and see my family and friends every day. Majoring in Speech Pathology is something I am looking forward too and so far, it has been great. Though at times, I am faced with a lot of stressful situations, it will be worth it in the end.
