College is always a time to learn and grow into the person you want to be, changing and evolving. A few things in college are necessary to understand on the way to adulthood. One way or another, some of these things will be gained throughout our time in college.
Time Management
Being able to get to school on time, juggling a social life and a budding academic and professional agenda is a tricky balance to maintain. For many students, this means learning how to navigate when performing specific tasks. Things like forming a schedule, knowing when the best time to do homework, and committing to classes are some lessons students learn when they get to college.
Sasha Prinos, ‘23, has been both a resident on-campus and a commuter student. According to her, this has allowed her to distinguish personal needs, work and school.
“The transition was a little difficult, but knowing what I needed physically helped me understand what I could achieve,” said Prinos.
Workload
It may look like a college student’s schedule is much more accessible than a high schooler but make no mistake; the average college student is heavily involved on campus and has to work differently. Depending on a student’s major, they might study vastly differently from high school. Their subjects and classes may require them to rethink their schedules and what materials they might need to be successful. The critical part is self-accountability; since no one is in charge but themselves, it can be a very tricky and uncomfortable situation to reflect on. And for each person, it is about finding a personalized and custom schedule.
Communication and Self Confidence
Many don’t think much about who they are or what they want before coming to college. Many students will want to grow and experiment as they start to think about what kind of adults they want to be. As such, they are learning how to advocate for themselves. In this way, there is a level of communication that students learn while on campus. Whether that’s through leadership positions or classes, they ultimately learn how to articulate and form their thoughts.
“I believe that as a person, throughout my college career, I have become more confident in myself and in my ability to help and teach others,” Adriana Gonzales, ‘23.
Work-Life Balance
Time management and dealing with the workload of school can be overwhelming, but the average college student may also need to find time to work. Figuring out what schedule works best for students can be tricky. Finding the proper hours per semester and knowing when to take breaks is something many struggles with.
This also ties into one of the critical pieces of advice often offered to students: say yes to everything. Unless, of course, it comes to your mental or emotional health. So, while there are exceptions, schoolwork and rest being some exceptions, saying yes opens the door to new opportunities.
The college journey will lead to many ups and downs. But one thing is for sure; students enter and exit the same way. Whether there is academic or personal growth, students will mark the experiences and people they meet at NCC.
