College Questions

Before going off to college many students begin to get worried and anxiously ask similar questions like “What’s it going to be like?”, “Will I make any friends?”, “Will it be hard?”, etc. They ask these questions because, like any sane people, they want to know as much as possible about what they are getting themselves into. They are going off by themselves for the first time into the great unknown so to help I’ve compiled a list of commonly asked questions about going off to college and their answers.

1. What’s college going to be like?
   College is going to be many things for you. For most it can be an extremely enjoyable period of great freedom and responsibility. It really depends on how you go about it.
   
   

   2. Will I make any friends?
   Of course! You are going to be surrounded by thousands of new students all eager to make friends. Remember if you’re nervous about making friends, all of these students are just as nervous. They are in the same exact situation you are; a new environment with a lot of unknowns. They all have to make new friends too.  
   
   

   3. How will I make those friends?
   Ah, a good question. The trick is to simply introduce yourself to people around your dorm room. Keep an open door policy for your dorm room. Don’t just shut yourself off from everybody else. Leave your door open and people will come around to introduce themselves. If you’re not sure of what to say, talk about where both of you are from or what either of you are planning on majoring in. Also, get involved in activities or clubs around campus.
   
   

   4. Should I be worried about college?
   Worried? Nah. You’ll be fine. Of course, you’ll probably be extremely anxious in the weeks leading up to it and will probably experience some homesickness in the first few weeks. You just have to take the time to adjust and then after all that you’ll be perfectly fine.
   
   

   5. Will college be hard?
   Definitely. College is not high school. You’ll actually have to study. Hard. You may look at your college and go “Look at all that free time. I only have like, three hours of classes a day!” No. You’ll be spending that “free time” doing homework and studying. You’ll be studying a lot, because unlike in high school, your tests are challenging and each one usually worth about 25% of your grade. For every hour of class you are supposed to do at least two hours of studying.
   
   

   6. Are you saying I won’t have any time for fun?
   Nope. I’m not saying that at all. You’ll have free time. Homework and studying just take priority over it. As soon they’re done, the rest of your time is available to do with as you see fit.
   
   

   7. What will my classes be like?
   Your classes will most likely be interesting. College classes move through lessons very quickly, so you will (hopefully) learn a lot in a short period of time. Most classes are lectures, where the teacher stands in front of a large class and will just talk about the lesson for the length of the class. Your class difficulty will really depend on the class. Usually the classes you have to take for your major are your more difficult classes and any other classes outside your major are semi-easy – mainly GPA booster – classes. Again this depends on you, if your good at math then obviously your math classes will by your easier classes.
   
   

   8. What will my professors be like?
   Your professors will be extremely knowledgeable in their fields of study. However being knowledgeable and being a good teacher are two different things, so some of your professors will be excellent teachers and, unfortunately, some will not. Many future college students are told that in college their professors won’t care about them or their grades. This isn’t entirely true. Your professors will not make an effort to reach out to you at all. You have to reach out to them to get help. You have to recognize when you need help and then go out to get it from your professor. Your professor will have office hours, which are times when they are available for help. If you use their office hours to your advantage you will find that your professors are actually warm, caring people.
   
   

   9. What’s it like to live on campus?
   Living on campus is like living in a multi-building house filled with thousands of other people right next to your school. Living on campus is different at first, but extremely easy to get used to. You live in your dorm inside of your residence hall, which is located near all of your dining hall and classes. Once you get used to it, it’s not too different from living at home.
   
   

   10.  What’s it like to have a roommate? How can I get along with him/her?
   Having a roommate is not unlike having to share a room with a sibling, albeit a sibling you don’t know and whom you shouldn’t get into fights with. Having a roommate means simply means you share a room with someone, however this also entails some shared responsibilities, like cleaning and basic getting along skills. You have to be considerate towards your roommate and if you have any problems with him/her, don’t be afraid to bring them up and talk to him/her about it. Having a roommate may seem strange at first, but it is a great experience once you get used to it.
   
   

   11.  Will I get homesick and if so how do I deal with it?
   Yes, like most students going off to college for the first time you will get homesick, however you are much better off than earlier generation who went off to college because you live in the digital age. You have a cell phone, email and the ability to webchat over the internet. Homesickness usually isn’t too much to deal with because it will go away on its own. The best way to deal with homesickness is to get involved in clubs and organizations and make friends, you’ll soon become too busy with your classes and organizations to even notice your homesickness.

    

Well, that’s it, hope it helped. If I think of anymore questions and answers I’ll try to add them.