I am so stressed about starting college!

RobbieNEmmy

RobbieNEmmy

I made it!
Jan 3, 2006
608
1
#1
I’m nervous about college.

I will be a new freshman at C.W. Post, in Brookville, NY. I am going for B.S. in Chemistry in the honors program, and along with that, comes a few things that I’m nervous about.

The first is Calculus. I took high Math classes in HS, but I am completely expecting to be dazed and confused with my first lesson in college Calc! I did get good grades in HS, but it was senior year, and I’m not sure I remember a lot of what I learned… lol! Can anyone here share their experiences with this class?

The second is honors English. The last honors English class I took was in the seventh grade. I’m not a bad English student, but long papers overwhelm me. I would have greatly preferred to be in a regular English class, but being in the honors program, I’m obligated to take honors.

These are the only two classes that I’m starting to stress about; does anyone have anything to share that could help me out? Ease the stress, perhaps? :crybaby:
 
#2
Take it one day at a time. When you go to class the first day read the syllabus. Really listen to what the professor says. If you feel like they are asking too much of you, you may want to drop it or see if you can get into another class that will fulfill the same requirement. Don't stress yet. You're not there yet.
 
#3
college is perhaps the most wonderful and glorious thing ever (but i may be biased, Playboy rated my college one of North America's top 10 party schools), you're going to have a fabulous time, but it'll be a little overwhelming at first. in my experience, even though my school is rated well academically, college classes are easier and less work-intensive than high school classes (but i took a bunch of AP in high school - AP is a LOT harder than actual college). you have to be disciplined and keep up with your progress on your own, but if you're hardworking enough to be in the honors program, you'll do fine.

don't get tooooo caught up in class, though. college is ment to be enjoyed, particularly freshman year.
 
#4
totally agree with amanda! im going to be a sophmore and I agree that college classes are a lot more laid back. for example-the professor will assign reading pg 100-120 for next class...but theres no pop quiz...so I usually dont do it, but then you get a reality check when there's an exam and you havent read anything :O

so do the readings and take it piece by piece, then you wont be so overwhelmed!! be excited!! college is fun :smile:
 
#5
Can I please transfer to your all's college Amanda or Rebecca? Bc mine is currently kicking my butt LOL! My school's avg GPA is like a 3.2 (compared to 3.45 at similarly ranked schools) and we have a serious grade inflation policy in place (we have a set quota on how many ppl in each class can get an A, A-, and so on) so it's definitely a battle for every A.

Personally I aced AP Calc and was fighting for a B in Calc in college (I got stuck in adv engineering calc somehow :wacko:). You have to keep in mind that every test counts a LOT more in college than in HS. Most of my tests count for 20-25% of my grade with finals being worth up to 33%. Definitely prepare extra well for tests than you would in HS.

As for English classes.. participate as much as you can in class discussions (even if you have nothing incredibly profound to say!) And also take advantage of office hours as much as possible.. profs love kids who put in extra time to talk or to ask for help! And just incase u don't already know always use 12pt Times New Roman font with 1" margins on all sides on all your papers (I got clued into this 2nd sem freshie year LOL!)

And don't worry too much.. I can honestly say college has been the best part of my life so far!!
 
#6
haha sparkles! calc is killer!! at my school, not sure about everyone else's we have to have a solid C which is a 75 or above to receive credit, or else we have to take it again!! and with only a couple of exams failing one is NOT an option :/ trust me math is my devil! hate hate hate math lol :smile:
 
#7
If you were my daughter and you were not freaking out about heading off to college, I'd be seriously worried about you!! Forget about the classes for a second. Think about what college really means: you are now officially an adult, totally and completely acccountable for your actions. You don't have your parents to fall back on, well in theory anyway. You will be in a new place, new friends to make, a new type of living style to adjust to, even new FOOD to get used to. You'll be making your own choices and own decisions.

That being said, you should be scared silly! But that's OK. You can draw consolation from the fact that every other freshman there is scared silly and facing the same new challenges you are.

About the classes? The one great thing about college that you didn't have in public schools is the "no fault-no foul" option known as dropping classes. If you've signed up for what you feel is just too many hours, too many difficult classes, you can drop one or two and catch them later after you have adjusted to college life a bit. There's no shame in that. Keep this (and the last date to drop classes w/o penalty) in mind. I think you'll find it helps.

And congratulations! We sent our daughter off to college two years ago. It's been a total joy to watch her grow up. :heart:
 
#8
College was the best part of my adult life. I too was in honors, and majored in English. Also, I was a teaching assistant in grad school, so I taught college English.

Don't worry about it, just be sure to do the reading assigned. Read any or all footnotes or end notes in the book as well. In an English class, the prof might read parts of a story or a novel- highlight them. Nothing is worse than reading something wonderful in the story to show what the author is trying to do with technique, and half the class hasn't done the reading.

Good luck to you. And enjoy!
 
#9
I'm not in college yet, I still have 1 1/2 more years in highschool, but good luck! I went through the worst possible English class last year and I aced it! Just do your work and ask questions, you'll be fine :smile:
 
#10
I love college...so much that I'm doing a PhD lol

Anyways....I took calc. I hated it...but that said it really wasn't THAT hard. Do your homework every week (even if you don't get graded for it) and don't fall behind. Attend the review sessions. Talk to the professor about ANYTHING that you're having trouble with. I know it's intimidating to go to their office, but they're there for a reason!
 
#12
the coming Fall will be my final semester at SUNY Buffalo, and even though i can't wait to graduate and start my new life, i know i'll miss school a lot.

i took Calculus 1 and 2 in my community college back in Malaysia before i transferred here, and to complete my Gen Ed Math requirement, i took Calculus 3 when i came to Buffalo. it's really not too difficult, because everything has a formula that acts as the basis, and if you remember that, you shouldn't do too badly. it requires memory and also a lot of thinking.

i was waived from Gen Ed English because i already took them back in Malaysia, but because i'm a Communication major with a Certificate in Journalism, i had to take advanced writing classes, which required A LOT of reading and research. the good thing is that papers are double-spaced, so that lightens the load a little, and really, once you get started, it'll be a breeze to finish it. make sure you do your reading, and yes, participate in class discussions; it helps you understand your assignments more.

the good thing about college is that you can drop classes if you feel they're too much for you; only you may have to take them eventually if they're required classes. you can also take fun elective classes just to take the edge off studying; in my school i'm in the choir which is a 2-credit class, and i take it every single semester to give me something to look forward to.

college years are probably the best years of your life. don't stress too much over classes; freshman year is supposed to be the easiest!
 
#13
Ah -don't stress - I was exactly the same before I started University and it was the best three years of my life

I can assure you that within a month of being there you will wonder what all the stress is about

Good Luck:flowers:
 
#15
Don't stress too much about it. University has a great support network and if you ever have problems, there'll always be someone there for you. I found uni way easy, the most stressful part was getting in ! :biggrin:
 
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