Fresh Look from a
Freshman
By: Howard Tat, I'reshmau
An editorial. An editorial for a
magazine. An editorial for a
magazine written by a
Freshman. I wonder what this
is going to be about? Wait!
Let me guess, another one of
those “what it is like to be a
new student on campus”
things. I’m sorry to disappoint
you but this will be anything
but common. Don’t get me
wrong, this will still be a
Freshman’s impression of
college, it’ll just be slightly
different than most.
First off, most of these
articles start off with how
college is so different
from high school, and
how hard it is to adjust to
the freedom and
responsibility that was thrust
upon us. In reality, the
transition into college has not
been all that difficult to make.
Not to say that it’s not different
and exciting, but it’s no where
near the change it was made
out to be. The freedom that
was gained is great. To eat
my own meals, do my own
laundry, and clean up my own
room were all things I had
taken for granted at home.
Now as the third month of
college is upon us, a discovery
has been made. Freshmen
eat. Freshmen do their
laundry. And Freshmen can
keep their rooms (relatively)
clean. A change from high
school life and from life at
home it is, there is no doubt
about that, but it’s not
something that can’t be easily
handled.
Another idea, which is always
permeating through these
articles, is the work given by
the classes. Someone always
writes about how the workload
at college is so overwhelming.
“Freshman Eat, Do
Laundry and Clean
their Rooms”
I’m not saying that there is not
a lot of work, my three exams
and over a thousand pages of
reading (in one day) attest to
this, but it can be handled. Of
course it’s nowhere as light as
the course load of high school,
but it’s also not so radically
different. Courses still have to
be taken, classes still have to
be attended (for the most
part), and work still has to be
done. At first, it looked like a
lot to be done, but before you
knew it, it was accomplished.
It was learned that a couple
hours set aside each day will
keep you caught up on your
reading and work. It was
learned that sometimes it was
better to miss a class and
study, than attend a class and
not be prepared. These were
little things that soon become
apparent to all freshmen. If
not, it would be a wonder why
more of us don’t fail out in the
first semester. Articles are
written everyday on how
difficult it is to adjust to
college. They speak of the
same problems that were
written above, but never
giving Freshmen the
credit for dealing with
them. It always
seems that the
Freshmen who
normally write these
articles always just
narrowly deal with the
problems and it’s always an
amazing learning experience.
It is a learning experience,
there is no doubt about that,
but there’s nothing amazing
about it. It's just a normal part
of growing up and passes
quicker than one can
remember. It becomes a part
of you and routine. Sure there
may be many other topics that
I have not discussed, but on
the overall topic of adjusting to
living at college, it just
happens. Freshmen can
learn and survive in college.
And they can do it quite well.
East Wind ~ 11