Life Opportunities
When you think about college, you may think
first about studying and preparing for a career. But college also
enriches your personal life. It helps you make important transitions.
Living Independently
Like many students, you may find that your
first real opportunity to live away from your parents and family comes
when you go to college. You will have to take greater personal
responsibility on a day-to-day basis.
For example, you may be used to someone
asking you every day whether you’ve finished your homework. Maybe
you’re not allowed to do certain things—watch TV, play computer games,
talk on the phone—until your homework is done.
When you go to college, you probably won’t be
asked about homework all the time. You won’t be told when to do it.
Although you might like this freedom, you might find that being asked
about homework helped you stay on track. Now you will have to motivate
yourself to succeed. You will have to set your own schedule.
For every freedom that you gain, you also gain a responsibility. Learning to balance these two—freedom and responsibility—is just one part of college. But it is a very important life skill.
You’ll find lots of support at college for
making this transition. Professors will tell you when assignments are
due and exams are scheduled. And lots of college services will be
nearby, ready to help you organize your time.
Establishing Goals
You don’t have to be sure about what you want
to do after college in order to start college. But college gives you
the chance to think about what is important to you and what you want
your life to be like.
Starting college is like starting a new year
and making resolutions. You may have goals that include preparing for a
career, getting good grades, trying new activities, learning new
skills, making new friends, or even learning for its own sake. Setting
goals will help you get more out of the college experience.
Meeting a Wide Range of People
When you go to college, you have the chance
to meet people with backgrounds different from your own. Your
classmates may be from other parts of the state or country. They may be
from other parts of the world. Their cultural or religious backgrounds
may be very different from yours.
You will meet people of all ages with various
points of view. Your classmates and teachers will have experiences
different from yours. Therefore, you will be exposed to new ideas,
viewpoints, and lifestyles.
You will want to think carefully about how
other people’s perspectives fit with your own opinions, goals, and
values. You will be able to use this experience to learn more about
yourself and others.
And you will make new friends. Some of the
friends you make in college may become important to you in other ways,
for example, in helping you find a job later in life. Others will
become lifelong friends, enriching your life for years to come.
Exploring New Opportunities
Perhaps the most exciting part of college is
the chance to try new experiences. You can take some courses simply for
enjoyment or to satisfy your curiosity. You can try a new sport—perhaps
rowing or lacrosse—or a recreational activity that may not have been
available to you before.
You may be able to perform in a play, work on
a newspaper, or join student government. You might get involved in the
college community, perhaps coordinating a food drive, helping build
housing for the homeless, organizing a political rally, or raising
money for charity.
You will have the opportunity to listen to
and meet artists, journalists, political leaders, researchers, and
others who visit the college. Some of the people you meet may be able
to offer you advice about careers and maybe even a job! You may have
the chance to travel, studying in other parts of the country or the
world. Every day of college will provide new opportunities that will
help you grow in new and exciting ways!
