college so far
After not posting here for so long, I feel it necessary to recap what I have learned in the past two years of college.
1. It's not that hard to connect with most people.
My experience with meeting new people in classes goes somewhat like this: First, find something you have in common, whether it be in an assignment or something that the other person's doing (ex. playing Nintendo DS). Talk about that. Then, introduce yourself. Finally, talk some more. I used to really think about this, the process that I would do to meet people. But when I stopped thinking about it and just acted naturally, I got to know a lot more people than before. Also, one trick is to say something funny to lighten the initally awkward mood. I'd rather be known as a somewhat funny kid than as a person who doesn't talk to anyone.
2. It's hard to connect with some people.
Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, where no matter how much you might have in common with someone (classes, intellect, etc.) you won't ever end up being friends. I blame this not on myself but on the other person. Some people might know who specifically I am talking about, but this isn't limited to that one person. The truth is, people are here to learn in college, and some people take it so seriously that they don't wish to be distracted by other people. I totally respect that, but at the same time I can't understand why someone wouldn't want to make a connection with someone else. I feel like life depends on these connections because not only are they intrinsically important to our social health, but connections lead to things like jobs and opportunities, and it all depends on who you know. I think it's their loss for not wanting to have yet another connection, so I will just continue plodding along the academic road, doing my thing.
3. Keeping said connections is difficult.
OK, it's only easy if you see them like 3 times a week and work on homework with them. But to stay connected with those I went to high school with takes some work (in most cases; there are definitely exceptions, and you know who you are). I see them only sparingly during the school year, and we don't have much in common to talk about besides 'what classes are you taking' and... well that's pretty much it. I learned this year not to take that kind of disconnection personally. People are busy and don't usually have time to think of the past. I only have this kind of time because I live at home and I thrive on the connections I already have, no matter how far back they stretched. But I figure, as long as I make a kind of effort to contact them a couple of times, I have done my part to keep the connection alive for that time. I don't have to blame myself for them not talking to me. And it's even harder to keep in touch with people I didn't go to high school with from my past, but the routine is the same. Message them every once in a while, see how they're doing, and if they have already severed that connection, then it's their loss. At least I feel good about myself that I made the effort.
4. Studying pays off.
(OK, that was totally unrlelated to the top 3. But oh well.) I didn't really believe in this because in high school I could do math tests with my eyes closed and I could read the history book the night before and get a somewhat decent grade. (OK, that's an exaggeration, but let's just say I definitely did not struggle with math). I got by in freshman year by winging it on the tests, because I was OK with not getting a 4.0. (I'll reserve high school grading system complaints for another entry). But soph year was a different story. I opened up with a 2.6 in Physics in Fall quarter, a grade that I had never even gotten close to before. That is when I started to actually prepare for tests. I read the book, took a look at the homework, and made study guides / flashcards. I improved to a 3.1 in Winter qtr and a 3.5 in Spring quarter, an improvement I am very proud of (but still keeps my GPA low...). Now I find that I have to prepare myself mentally for each exam, usually about a week before the test. For example, I've got Biochem and T-chem exams next Friday, so today I will start making flashcards and going over the readings to make sure I have the material down. (At least, I mean to do that today.) Hopefully this will translate again into improved grades and overall high self-esteem.
Hopefully this will lead to more frequent entries in the future...
1. It's not that hard to connect with most people.
My experience with meeting new people in classes goes somewhat like this: First, find something you have in common, whether it be in an assignment or something that the other person's doing (ex. playing Nintendo DS). Talk about that. Then, introduce yourself. Finally, talk some more. I used to really think about this, the process that I would do to meet people. But when I stopped thinking about it and just acted naturally, I got to know a lot more people than before. Also, one trick is to say something funny to lighten the initally awkward mood. I'd rather be known as a somewhat funny kid than as a person who doesn't talk to anyone.
2. It's hard to connect with some people.
Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, where no matter how much you might have in common with someone (classes, intellect, etc.) you won't ever end up being friends. I blame this not on myself but on the other person. Some people might know who specifically I am talking about, but this isn't limited to that one person. The truth is, people are here to learn in college, and some people take it so seriously that they don't wish to be distracted by other people. I totally respect that, but at the same time I can't understand why someone wouldn't want to make a connection with someone else. I feel like life depends on these connections because not only are they intrinsically important to our social health, but connections lead to things like jobs and opportunities, and it all depends on who you know. I think it's their loss for not wanting to have yet another connection, so I will just continue plodding along the academic road, doing my thing.
3. Keeping said connections is difficult.
OK, it's only easy if you see them like 3 times a week and work on homework with them. But to stay connected with those I went to high school with takes some work (in most cases; there are definitely exceptions, and you know who you are). I see them only sparingly during the school year, and we don't have much in common to talk about besides 'what classes are you taking' and... well that's pretty much it. I learned this year not to take that kind of disconnection personally. People are busy and don't usually have time to think of the past. I only have this kind of time because I live at home and I thrive on the connections I already have, no matter how far back they stretched. But I figure, as long as I make a kind of effort to contact them a couple of times, I have done my part to keep the connection alive for that time. I don't have to blame myself for them not talking to me. And it's even harder to keep in touch with people I didn't go to high school with from my past, but the routine is the same. Message them every once in a while, see how they're doing, and if they have already severed that connection, then it's their loss. At least I feel good about myself that I made the effort.
4. Studying pays off.
(OK, that was totally unrlelated to the top 3. But oh well.) I didn't really believe in this because in high school I could do math tests with my eyes closed and I could read the history book the night before and get a somewhat decent grade. (OK, that's an exaggeration, but let's just say I definitely did not struggle with math). I got by in freshman year by winging it on the tests, because I was OK with not getting a 4.0. (I'll reserve high school grading system complaints for another entry). But soph year was a different story. I opened up with a 2.6 in Physics in Fall quarter, a grade that I had never even gotten close to before. That is when I started to actually prepare for tests. I read the book, took a look at the homework, and made study guides / flashcards. I improved to a 3.1 in Winter qtr and a 3.5 in Spring quarter, an improvement I am very proud of (but still keeps my GPA low...). Now I find that I have to prepare myself mentally for each exam, usually about a week before the test. For example, I've got Biochem and T-chem exams next Friday, so today I will start making flashcards and going over the readings to make sure I have the material down. (At least, I mean to do that today.) Hopefully this will translate again into improved grades and overall high self-esteem.
Hopefully this will lead to more frequent entries in the future...