Leaving home, leaving my girlfriend, my family, even leaving my dog was going to be so hard. I was going off to college. When I was in high school I thought it would never end, but now I wish it hadn’t. I didn’t feel like I was ready, but it was time, and in time I would learn to let go and become a real grown up at university.

I lived in the dormitories my freshman year. Every room was packed to the veritable rafters with stuff, and having two students in one room made it even more cramped. In each room people had everything and everything to make things feel more life home. You’d see microwave ovens, fridges, televisions, rice cookers, and more all stuffed into these closet sized rooms.

My first few weeks of classes were crazy running around the campus trying to figure out where the buildings where and keeping track of my timetable. I remember my first week of biology, I rushed into the classroom at such a speed because I was going to be late, I ran slap bang right into the professor, and knocked his pipe right out of his mouth. He had to use one of those handheld vacuums to clean up the spilled tobacco.

I eventually got used to it, started to meet people, and found my way fitting in socially with new friends. I still missed my girlfriend back home though. She was still in High School, absolutely gorgeous with long brown hair and deep emerald eyes. I missed her so much. She missed me too, but not as much as I missed her, apparently. She filled the hole I’d left with another guy and told me on the phone one night it was finished.

There was tons do do at college to keep myself busy. Apart from studying and prepping for exams, I’d met lots of cool people and pretty girls. It was like I was partying every single night. It did get kind of old in time, and I moved of campus for my second year.

Me and 6 other guys found an apartment. It was downtown, and we drew straws for the rooms. I got the biggest room, and it had a full size loft bed, and plenty of room for my computer desk underneath. I cycled to campus each week for classes and ended up getting pretty fit.

My first year at university had it’s hardships but I did get through it and thrived. I will always recall those days with fond memories and I recommend all young people who feel hesitant to let go and enjoy themselves.

My first college dorm experience was not anything unusual. I was dropped off by my parents along with the other thousands of freshman venturing into the halls of higher education. I was as prepared as I could be having excelled in all my prep classes and exams. However, I was still a bit anxious because the classes would be more competitive and I would also have to deal with living on my own.

As a diversion, one item I chose to bring along was my alvarez acoustic guitar. I really enjoyed playing this instrument. It helped me to deal with stress and also stimulate my creativity. My studies were more than sufficient to provide the necessary structure and discipline.

Another thing i decided to do was to keep scrapbook pages of my college years. I thought this would be a great way to not only keep track of my progression, but also have something to look back on years later. My parents each kept scrapbooks which they shared with me prior to leaving for school. I thought it was a really neat idea.

In order to help me survive on my own, my mother thought it would be wise to do some cooking every now and again in order to avoid the pervasive junk food diet. I did not want to fall into the trap of the freshman forty and gain weight as so many are apt to. Although I did have a meal plan, there is a tendency to over eat when faced with a multitude of eating choices. In order to provide a healthy substitute, my mom packed an anodized cookware set.

The rest of my luggage was primarily filled with clothes. There were summer clothes, winter clothes, and everything in between. The remainder was comprised of books, sound system, computer, and miscellaneous sports equipment. I enjoyed being physically active, particularly, playing football, basketball, and even throwing a frisbee now and again.

When I entered my dorm room, I was shocked to see how small it was. The closet was barely enough to hold my clothes. I would have to find another solution for storing my belongings. There was a bed with a bare mattress. A desk was off to the side with a chair. I had to get some bed sheets, pillows, and a blanket.

The biggest change in dorm life was the bathroom situation. The bathrooms were communal and coed. This included the toilet stalls, sinks, and even the showers. However, there was enough separation between each compartment to leave some sense of privacy. College life was not only going to challenge me intellectually, but also on a social level. It was a challenge I was prepared to meet.

So university awaits and you are excited, but think of the transition from high school to campus college life, it can be difficult. You can very easily become homesick, overwhelmed and discouraged but needless to say a very unique experience.

Due to the influences from television and movies many students will get various types of expectations. Since the reality doesn’t match up with what’s seen on television, it is a common aspect for some to get disappointed . Things will definitely get adjusted to suit your requirements if you give it some time.

Campus college life is mostly about what you gain in the academic aspects.Once you step in to the campus college life it your own journey to make your own decisions. Campus college life means more freedom but it also means you have to be able to manage your time. Getting use to the amount of work assigned in college can be tedious but if extracurricular activities such as clubs and organizations are to be considered, it is best not to take on too much or else time management towards school and activities will be hectic

Campus college life will bring upon new situations you will have to learn to handle. Apart from meeting new people there could be other various aspects where you will have to deal with for the first time in your life before the exposure to the real world. Apart from learning textbook theories, an essential part of campus college life involves learning how to be an adult. Getting to make a web of friends will leave you with a chance to learn different things about people and observe them

Compared to high school it is obvious that a campus life has many differences and add-ups. It is true that you have the freedom you never had in a high school, which could backfire you so easily. You will have to do the reading and learn it on your own because it will be heavier and tougher material. At the end of the day though, what matters is the result you get, not the effort you have put in to it. But the results will only come through effectiveness of being an adult.

Get more college information and free education guide including free government grant advice. Also check out this free resource to find out which major will best suit your personality at Find The Right College for You.

The freedom and new experiences of college are something new college students look forward to, but that same freedom brings up a different problem:  time management.  A few simple pointers can help tremendously. 

One of the simplest things a college student can do is to get a calendar that is useful for them.  Paper or digital, it doesn’t make a difference, as long as the calendar is used consistantly to enter all of the things you need to get done.  Record everything in this calendar from tests to time to do the laundry, and even time to party and hang out with friends.  Be sure to only have one calendar, as having multiple places to store information can be almost as overwhelming as not having one at all.  When finals comes around, you may even have to schedule time for sleeping!  

For important things like tests and term papers, it is helpful to put them into your calendaring system as soon as you know about them.  This will allow you to figure out the amount of time it will take to finish or study for the project and count backwards to schedule in a starting time.  Many college students try to do things at the last minute and find themselves either short of time to finish the project or finish their project poorly. 

Having a part-time job to help pay for college is an experience many college students also must deal with.  In order to make scheduling work and studies easier, ask for the work schedule as far in advance as possible.  Very often, if you tell your employer when you are free to work, it is possible to work during that time. 

Don’t schedule every minute of your day for projects.  Everyone needs some time just to hang out and relax, or time to schedule in changes that happen during the day.  Having some free time allotted in your day will allow you to shift things around should something change or happen at the last minute.  And, when studies become overwhelming, free time will also help students to unwind. 

The skill of time management is the most critical, but most often overlooked part of a college student’s life.  Good time management can make the difference between a successful student and a poor one.