Things They Don't Tell You In High School

Hello, world! Oh, how I've missed y'all! To those of y'all that actually read these posts, I really do appreciate it. And if y'all could like, spread the word about my blog and tell your friends and colleagues to check it out, I would be so super grateful. I just want a bigger audience, because I spend a lot of time on these posts!

Anyways... The other day, I got to thinking... What did I really learn in high school that actually turned out to be useful in college? My opinion: not much. I know, that sounds really negative, but it's true! Granted, I am only a freshman, but still. I'm fully involved in college. I'm in several clubs/organizations, I go to classes, I play (intramural) sports, and I have a social life. Plus, on top of that, I have to live on my own and take care of myself!

This isn't to say high school isn't important. It is. It sucks, as everyone knows, but it is somewhat important. I mean, you learn stuff.... But a lot of the stuff you learn is only applicable for actual high school. You're not going to have to remember what year Albert Camus wrote The Stranger, but God knows you'll need to have his entire birthday memorized for that test.

On the other hand, there are some important things that you need to remember from high school. And what do you know, I'm gonna make a list! Enjoy! And please, take these with a grain of salt. While many of my friends agree with me, these are from my personal experiences, don't get your panties in a wad if you don't agree. So here are the things I think you really need to take with you from high school to college:

• Regular homework is useless. Occasionally you will have homework in college. Rarely, though. Sometimes you'll have to do some terms, maybe a few online practices. Otherwise, most "homework" is just writing papers, for which you are given plenty of time to prepare.
• Pay attention to your syllabi. In high school, these were viewed as useless wastes of paper that your parents had to sign. However, in college, these literally will save your life. When you get your syllabi, go straight to the schedule and immediately write it all out in your planner. That way, you'll know ahead of time when you have tests, due dates, and cancelled classes! Plus, they tell you about attendance policies, which differ with each professor.
• Good note-taking strategies are an absolute necessity. Some college professors use power points, some don't. Some post their information online, some don't. Each professor is different, and unlike high school, they usually don't all follow the same curriculum guide. Some professors allow laptops for notes, others despise the use of any kind of technology in their classes. Here's my advice:
• Laptop Notes: I love taking notes on my laptop (Google Drive!!!!) whenever I can. That way, I can get the information written down quickly and reorganize it later if necessary. Beware: it's easy to get distracted!!!
• Written Notes: Yup, sometimes you're gonna have to take notes the old-fashioned way. Personally, I remember things better when I write them down, so it's not so bad for me. Unfortunately, sometimes we have those classes that just make it boring. I suggest using lots of colors!! Use one color for the bulk of the notes, then other colors to highlight, underline, draw arrows, illustrations, and whatever else you need! These make your notes look more organized and just a bit more interesting!! 
• Planners are not for geeks. As I'm sure y'all saw in this post, I am obsessed with my planner. It's the most insanely helpful thing I have. Time management is a huge thing in college. In high school, your teachers reminded you every. single. day. about that paper. But in college, you won't even see your professors every day, much less have them remind you about something you, as an adult, should already know. 
• Procrastination is not a skill to brag about. I'll never understand why we all decided to do our projects the night before the due date... Especially considering we had homework for 7 different classes that same night! In college, you'd think it would be easier, considering the fewer classes you actually take per day. However, the opposite is true. Papers and projects are not flexible in college. High school teachers are pretty nice, they'll pretend to believe that your dog died and give you an extra day. But in college? Heck no, you should have turned that paper in a week ago anyways!!
• Don't limit yourself to "school" friends. It's okay to not have a ton of friends in your classes. In high school, you got along with whoever you were stuck with in class. In college, you see these people a lot less often, so don't force yourself to make in-class friendships. This is the time to think about the long-term, not just people to entertain you in class.

There's so much more I could say, but for now, I'll step off my soap box and let y'all figure the rest out on your own. An early congrats to the Class of 2015. These next few months will FLY by. Enjoy it while you can, but don't dwell on high school. College is awesome.

xoxo, a.