Saturday, August 25, 2007

"High School VS. College this is my transiton"
As a freshman at U of I, I carry my past experiences with me because that is what shapes me into who I am although they are not always what I want to be defined by. As a student in high school I would do the work half way or it wouldn't hurt to leave things until the last minute because I knew I was learning the material taught in the class. As a college student I want to keep that habit out of my system because I know that here I can't get away with it that easily. In college you earn your grade and its your own loyalty to show that you put the sweat and tears for your own grades. I honor feeling pride in the grades I earn and for that I want to put my best foot forward.
In high school sometimes all it took was knowing the material and passing the classes not so much the method that you used. Because of this I never quite set a strong routine for my study skills or taking notes. Now that I am in college I regret not setting myself in a more strict atmosphere in high school because maybe if I would've done this sooner I wouldn't have such a hard time managing my time amongst my classes. Because of my experiences in high school I've learned from my mistakes that have taught me lessons that I will carry through out college life.
I am currently taking an introduction course to psychology where it involves a good amount of concentration especially because it involves reading a lot and I'm not a person who enjoys reading. This a course where knowing whats going on in class is not enough it requires a lot of the students participation at home for things to go by smoothly through out the course. For example if I don't read ahead of the professor when he does go over the chapter its pretty difficult to identify myself to the information given out rather than if I read ahead I'll have a better understanding of what's going on in the classroom.
Learning both content and method in a classroom is difficult but they are weights of the same amount that are needed to make the balance even, without one the other side will out weigh the other. Its like a horse and carriage you can't have one without the other. As a student its your obligation to learn content and method because in the long run of the course it will pay off. And as a student who is in search of learning how to balance it out its better to start early rather than the day after failing your first exam.

5 comments:

Mickey said...

Although I didn't have that expeience in high school, I must admit that even when you hae studied for so many years, college is a whole new experience. New techniques will be developed for reading and doing your h/w, but it's a part of being involved in a new froup, a new community. I am glad that college has started, because now the community you are getting involved in, will be developed even more and you will be able to keep it in the future.

yingster said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
yingster said...

i agree with your article, college is different than high school. In high school, you can just slack of and still get a good grade, but not in college.

Unknown said...

helen, I totally agree with you because, it happen to me too. In high school I would just go to class and listen to the teacher, took notes and I pretty much knew that only the things the teacher went over in class was going to be in the exams, but now that am in college I know is a totally different story. But hey thats what college is all about, making you more responsible, and learn that if you dont do the things on your own no one will do them for you, and there is a lot of professors who wont care what is going on with you, as in why you are about to fail the class.I s good that you learn from your past experiences, so you wont make the same mistake.

T-babe' said...

MAN, I FEEL LIKE WE DO HAVE SOMETHING IN COMMON BECAUSE THATS THE SAME WAY I FEEL. IN HIGH SCHOOL THATS HOW I WAS AND SOMETIMES I WOULD GO TO CLASS WOTHOUT MY HOMEWORK DONE AND DID IT WHILE THE TEACHER WAS TALKING. BUT COLLEGE HAS A WHOLE ANOTHER BALL GAME YOUR HOMEWORK SHOULD BE DONE TWO DAYS BEFORE JUSTT TO BE SURE THAT ALL IS DONE