ReadingResponses-4

How to win at college- I agree with mostly everything that is talked about in this first section of the reading. I do think everyone should decorate their room to their own personal style. Decorating your room makes you feel at home, we aren't at home when we are away at school so therefore I think that we should try and make ourselves feel at home when we are so far away. It says that we should eat alone at least twice a day, which I kind of agree with. Breakfast is quick and on the go for everyone so that is usually something that we do, do alone. When I was a freshman at the dining halls I would never eat alone and I would waste so much time sitting around just talking with my friends and we never realized we were even there that long until the dining halls told us they were closing. So I do think that we do waste a lot of time when eating with other people. Also, the reading says not to study in your room and I learned that the hard way, I used to hate the library and be so against going there to study until I finally came and got all of my work done, and now I find it impossible to study anywhere in my house, as I did last year in the dorms. Study groups are okay, depending on the subject I think it's okay to work in them but only if your group is people you don't know because then you have no other choice but to do your work. If I am in a group with my friends and we all sit around trying to do a project it will never get done! Stay in Touch with home friends is my favorite part of this reading, it's so important. So many people being that this is their first semester of college so they really haven't had the chance to go home and be all together with their home friends to see if they changed, but this is something that I have experienced. My 7 best friends are all over the country for college, and it's really hard for us all to be apart. Our favorite way to stay in touch with each other is our text messaging group chat, we write in it and talk to each other every single day, and when we go home we always have one sleepover to all catch up in person. I think it's really important to stay in contact with home friends because they were the friends you had first. Finally, signing up for something as soon as you get to college is important because then you instantly know you are going to meet people and get involved. I didn't get involved in something until my second semester and I regret it everyday that I did not get involved earlier.

Navigating College- The first time you leave home is a bittersweet feeling for most people. Your whole life changes right before your eyes, there stopping it. Your freshman year is a big experiment. I recommend everyone to live a little their freshman year because you have time to make a few mistakes, not a ton of course. But their is always the next 3 years to get your life back on track. Being away means having to take care of yourself meaning you must do all the things your mom probably used to do for you. Such as eat a healthy diet, don't get caught up in all the unhealthy food college has to offer. Doing your own laundry, it's a pain but your clothes must get clean someway and there's no one that is going to do it for you. Have things that remind you of home, such as a family picture. Avoid living in hell, the hardest thing about being away from home is being unhappy with your living situation. Make sure you get along with your roommate or being away won't be very easy for you. If their is truly nothing you can do and you can't possibly stand your roommate any longer than their is always something the university for you and you can move out and start a new. Their are so many dorm options and the university cares most about you being happy in your living situation. The only way to really get a good college experience is to make the best of it for yourself, it you believe you can handle the work, living away from home, and making new friends then you can do it. There is no doubt about it.