Off To College

August 15, 2018
, 7:00 am

Have your kids or someone you know ever wonder what college would be like? I have a niece that will be a freshman at Colorado State University next year and is very anxious on starting her first year away from home. There are so many different things to get involved with at college that you are never really alone. From the smallest college to the biggest, there are clubs and organizations that you can join to help you meet new people. I would love to share my experience to hopefully help the switch from “home life” to “college life” a little easier.

Have you ever wondered what clubs to join? Think of stuff you like to do or would want to try. Chances are the college you are attending has a club for that. Before I attended college I always wanted to try rock climbing. Problem was that there were no rock climbing facilities close to me. I attended Boise State University where there is a rock climbing wall in the gym. This was my chance to finally try something I always wanted to do. I signed up for the rock climbing club and it had become one of my favorite hobbies. I met like-minded people that were into the same things I was into and I am still friends with a few of them to this day. I also joined the Greek society where I was a tri-delt. I gained many lifelong friends as well as networked which helped me land my first major job as a marketing rep for Apple. The most important thing is that you put yourself out there. Hiding in your room won’t make you friends. College is a time to try new things and find lifelong friends.

Managing your time at college is a game changer. This will determine if you succeed of have the worst time of your life. College is a complete 180 from high school. In high school, you don’t get to pick what classes you take, you want to take them, etc. High school is structured a certain way that you have no say in. College is structured to your liking. You get to pick your major meaning you’re taking classes you are interested in. You get to pick your general education classes such as woman studies, psychology, anthropology, etc. The thing that I think is one of the biggest advantage to college is that you get to pick the times of your classes. No more waking up at 6 AM to make it to your first class. If you are a morning person you can schedule all your classes in the morning where if you are more of an afternoon/night person you can schedule your first class to start at 3 PM. I personally like to have all my classes on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s. I had my first class start at 10:30, then had three classes after that. I also took two of my classes online making my schedule manageable. On my off days, I worked to earn some extra money. Writing down your schedule from classes, to work, to clubs and activities will help you not only be involved but help you stay on track to graduate.

Key differences between high school and college life:

High school: You have to live with your parent
College: You get to live with your friends

High school: You are forced to learn all subjects
College: You get to pick what you want to learn

High school: You have a full day of classes
College: You plan your schedule to your liking

High school: Everyone is required to be there
College: Everyone wants to be there

High school: You have a curfew to follow
College: You use your own judgement for what you have time to do

The downside to college is that you don’t get to see your friends and family everyday like you got to in high school since you lived at home. Thankfully, Penless lets you be creative and add personality when sending a card back home. Since you might miss some of your family members birthdays, you can send a Penless Birthday card with a personalized video message rather than typical handwritten card. Although you are not with them celebrating, they still get a laugh watching the video.