6 Things College Can Teach You

Tiffany Jones, editor, at CSUEB's Pioneer writes "Six things college has taught me, to date". The first one made this former mother of two college students laugh, yes, out loud. "We all wish our mom still did our laundry." C'mon admit it, I bet you arrive home with a suitcase full of dirty laundry when you visit your parents. All kidding aside, she offers some sound advice.

1. Being a big kid is hard - no moms and dads at college.

2. Time management is key to success - get off social media 24/7, get to class on time, do your homework the day before, not 4:00 a.m.

3. You can’t escape reality - make goals and live up to them.

4. Conflict is essential - The advice I'd give my own children and students, "You can say whatever you want to your teacher/boss/counselors as long as you do so politely."

5. Being discouraged is okay - should read "Being discouraged is essential." If you aren't discouraged from time to time, you are not growing in knowledge or maturity.

6. Believe it or not, mistakes are a good thing - Absolutely!!!! How will you ever get any better at anything if you don't take some chances? And if you take chances, you are bound to fail once in a while.

What has college taught you so far?


Comments

  1. I think this is something that when reading is not just heard but believed. Great advice, know a lot of people who I wish had someone tell them this. Much appreciated.

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  2. I don't think college teaches you how to become a grown man or woman. Just get the hell out of your parent's house live yourself you can learn those things above listed. College can teach you how to drink alcohol, and smoke weed with friends.

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  3. College teaches us to be independent. With no parents around to tell us what to do, we eventually learn what our priorities are and more importantly, we learn what we do now reflects directly in ur future like if we party too much now because we have the freedom, we might end up affecting our grades.

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  4. I agree with this post 100%. Being a second year in college I am already learning and growing so much more than I did my first year. Yes, we do make a lot of mistakes especially if it's our first time being on our own, fending for ourselves but we become a way stronger and independent person going through it all. This post is very appreciated for a lot of students who worry about being on their own or never want to make a mistake. It's a time for us to grow up and learn about the person we are.

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  5. I personally feel like college does teach you a lesson. It's definitely different when you transition from high school to college. While being in college for a few years, I realized that I have learned a few things about myself, and even other people. It's a bit of common sense to know that time management is important to our life in general. Back in the days, I would have a planner, but I would never stick to writing down my assignments and reminders. Now, in college, so many events and assignments are happening simultaneously that it is very necessary for me to write everthing down. I noticed that there are some people in college that do not really care for what they want to do in the future, but that made me realize that the earlier you plan your future, the easier your pathway will be. I never really looked into my major or what I wanted to study until this year (my third year of college), which I would say is not too late nor too early. I do wish, however, that I planned out my course path earlier, so that I do not feel like I am behind with taking required courses compared to everyone else. I later tell myself that college is not a race, taking your time to find out what you really want to do is key. Though every student is different, it is up to them to decide if they want to succeed or not.

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  6. I agree with this 100%. Being able to start off my second year of college. I feel like I have grown as a student tremendously. I am the second person in the family to leave my home. I personally feel that if I didn't take a risk in leaving home, I wouldn't be the person I am today. I feel like I am more responsible and have grown to be more mature. I do feel that making mistakes is a great way to learn from them because no one is perfect in this life.

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  7. Something else that college has taught me is how to manage your money. Obviously tuition, textbooks, and if you live away from home, housing rent is eating up all your money. Everyday students spend money on at least one meal that is not home cooked. I had counted yesterday how much money I spend on food weekly and it ranges from 20-40 dollars, that is at month 150-200 dollars monthly! The advice I would give is to save at least 1-5 dollars daily and see how much you can save up by the end of the year. It is a great way to save up and use the money when it is truly needed. I agree with all of the six things that are mentioned in this blog, especially time management, being unable to escape reality, and learning from mistakes. Procrastination sucks, you should plan when to do all your assignments earlier so you do not end up losing sleep and doing all your work two hours before the class, which can stress you out like crazy. Something that I cannot relate to a lot is not having my parents to be around in college, because they are the ones that pay for my education, and I still live with them. Yes, they do not interfere with my classes and do not know much of what is going on unless I tell them. If I am having a problem I let them know of it, but I am the one that has to fix it without their help. I still can’t see how the conflict is essential part as a something good. I think it is best to be on the good side of your professors. College has also taught me to be independent, social, and making new friends is okay. Not always will your “best friends” from high school stay the same with you. College will somehow be the best years of your life too.

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  9. Being in college for only three weeks has taught me a lot. I learned that college is really the first step into adulthood. Mommy and daddy is no longer there to make sure you're on the right path. I am not the first person in my family to attend college, but I am the first one to go away to college. I feel like being away from home will guide me to becoming a responsible young adult. Living on campus allows me to learn how to do things on my own. In the past three weeks, I have became more independent. I've had to wash my own clothes, shop for groceries and toiletries, cook, and clean all by myself. I'm in the process of learning how to manage my time between my school life and my social life. Not only am I learning how to manage my time, but my money as well. I've been getting my priorities straight. Buying books over shoes is hard, but I'm getting through it. Realizing that I've learned so much in college already in only 3 weeks is exciting, and I can't wait to see what the rest of the school year has in store for me. I know that I have so much fun in the next few years, along with learning a handful of lessons.

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  10. In the short 3 weeks I have been in college, I have already learned all six of those, and more. Although number one doesn't apply to me because I've been independent for quite a few years now, I still miss the comfort of my parents. Unlike most of the other freshman here, I've had my fair share laundry mistakes. Which relates to number six, every mistake is a lesson learned. Number two was quite hilarious and quite relate-able. Time management throughout high school was probably my biggest issue I struggled with. Thankfully, college professors don't put up with half of the things high school teachers do, so I am forced to live up to the expectations. I went from rarely being on time to arriving to class early. Being early can never be a bad thing. It gives you to opportunity to ask your professor any questions you may be shy to ask in person, get to know your fellow classmates, or finish up that last homework problem you forgot about. On top of never being on time, I used to be a huge procrastinator. Thanks to the fear of failure, I have been doing my assignments the day they are assigned even though I have a week to complete them. That way if I have a brain block, I can always come back to it without having to stress out. Something not mentioned that college has taught me is how to manage my money. It was the hardest thing, not being able to buy in-n-out because I had to buy my books. But this is one of the most valuable lessons you will ever learn, how to save, spend, and invest your money. I wish I had been giving this advise before entering college rather than finding out myself.

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  11. I've only been in college for about 3-4 weeks but I can honestly tell you that since I've been here, I've been forced to grow as a person. I've always been an independent person but leaving home and not having my family by my side was difficult for me. I now have to do things completely on my own and while it may not always be easy, it definitely is rewarding. I am currently low on funds and looking for a job but having to budget and struggle has made me face the reality that my life and future are in my hands. If I want to change my reality, I can. Its all up to me. In a way struggling feels good (not really) in the sense that I know that I'm struggling because I am growing. Besides, you can't grow if you aren't being challenged. Not to mention that my perception of things has completely changed. I have been exposed to so many different people, personalities, and ideas. All of them being so different is exciting. I'm allowed to think for myself and make my own choices. The freedom is invigorating as well as a little scary. The next adventures college brings me should be interesting, to say the least.

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  12. College has taught me a lot about life over the course of my studies at CSUEB. There are many various things I have learned and also dread from my experience at college. First things first college is nothing like high school. College teaches you to be independent, focus on your priorities and gain the skills that will help you achieve your future career. However, the journey is not easy and sometimes learning the hard way is the best way to learn from your mistakes. There many challenges and struggles when it comes to college and I believe it can be very tough sometimes because it wants to prepare you for the real world. Overall, college is a great experience. Although challenging it is worthwhile and when you look back you can be proud of the accomplishments you made during this important time of your life.

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  13. Being a college student for about three years now has taught me a lot, probably more than I think. Though I am a commuting student, I still feel and act more independent. I have been doing my own laundry since I was in high school so that has not changed, but I am no longer relying on my parents for any of my expenses. College has also taught me that you have to sacrifice time for your school work over your social life. Time management is key so do not wait the last minute to do important papers, even if they could turn out to be the best paper you have written. I have also been able to find better sources when writing my papers because I was introduced to databases that have more legit sources of information than using Google and Wikipedia, which you should not use anyway. What I do think I need to explore more in college is to expand my vocabulary and read the newspaper because I feel not up to date with current events that are being talked about in classes. Overall, my time in college so far has taught me that growing up and becoming an adult can be difficult if you do not have specific goals and well thought out priorities because chances you will get lost and lose focus, so use available resources for help and the rest of your college career will be at ease…hopefully.

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  14. I totally agree with this article. Time management is key to success in college and the most important. A college student needs a good sleep everyday to perform well. Social media is a big part of society right now; snapchat, instagram, Facebook, and twitter. If I can take those out of my life while I study or do homework, I will probably finish faster and study better. My goals are set for the future and it is my job to conquer them. The first point does not apply to me because I live with my parents still because college is only 15-20mins away from home. Mistakes are apart of life and no different in college. It's my choice to either let it affect personally or move on and try to make it better. I always try to approach my professors in a polite manner way to avoid any conflicts. In this first month of college, I've learn that these points do apply to me, well not the first one.

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  15. This article is summing up my life right now. I have honestly learned how to time manage my time horribly. I still stay up late to do assignments but I have a better sense of time since I've been here and I have honestly learned how to do some of my homework earlier. But sometimes my laziness and procrastination gets the best of me and I wait until later to do assignments. However, I have gotten better and my learning experience is growing rapidly. Like I've said in a previous blog I allow social media to consume me and I block anything else, but good thing that has changed as well. So far my time here at East Bay has taught me that no matter how many assignments you have due there is still a deadline that you must meet for these professors and they can honestly care less if you did it or not. That's why I think that being selfish is the only way that you'll get certain assignments done. It's helpful to have study groups and things like that but you can't hold yourself responsible for other people not doing their work or waking up for class. Independence has taken a toll on me and I have learned to be selfish sometimes in order to succeed. Thanks to college for these realizations.

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  17. I agree with this article because I feel as if college is a reality check. you are not in high school anymore, you should not be dependent on your parents, and you are an adult now. High school were your last years of childhood, that is if you graduated at 17 years old, and even if you graduated at 18 you were still dependent on your parents. However, this is a biased statement coming from a home/family where my parents basically did everything for me till the summer before college. Before this summer, my laundry was done for me every week, I had an allowance and given gas money, and dinner was made for me. This summer they cut all of that off, so I learned some self-sufficiency. In high school, teachers are very strict with attendance and school work/homework and you will be punished (before/after school detention or suspension) if you do not abide by the rules. During my stay in the dorms, I learned how proper self management (because you can not manage time, but you can manage yourself), teachers do not care if I do my work or go to class, how to prioritize which class is more important, my parents are not taking care of me, and last but not least not to take what my parents provide me for granted!!!!

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  18. college has thought me a few things so far. with in the first month of college I have learned that in order to succeed in your classes you have to do all your work , and in order to do that it helps to make a to do list and every time you get new homework wright it down with the due date. Another thing college has thought me in this month is to get things done far before they are due to keep stress levels low. The last thing college has thought me so far is that it is essential to make a time chart so that you have time set aside for studying and class and work and then lastly free time.

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  19. I'm Weiqi Yu from ENGL 1001. I agreed with most of them. I think I am pretty much a independent college student now. Actually my parents are always train me to be independence. Such as they never pick me up from the kindergarten when I was 6. I walked on my own every time. Then they send me to a boarding elementary school. So after high school I decided to study abroad to America. Because I think I can handle everything on my own. I never really need parents to take care of me like a kid. Time management is my weak point. I really enjoyed to live without parents' control. So sometimes I have too much freedom to do whatever I want.And the time went just too fast. And I really agree with " conflict is essential". Because in China , student never could argue with teacher. And teacher never like the problem student. This is about culture I think. I don't agree with "being discouraged is okay." I think we always need to encourage ourselves to challenge everything. I agree with making mistakes. Mistakes are good, every time I made some big mistake. I will remember them forever. They helped me a lot to stop making more same mistakes.

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  20. I love playing basketball, Michael Jordan is my favorite player in the NBA league. He said that in my career, I lose almost 500 games, I miss a lot of shots. I lose 3 times NBA Finals and I miss almost 100 game winning shots. That's how I success right now. If you don't make mistake? How come you become successful in you future.

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  21. I agree with this post because I am the first one in my family to go to college and be away from home. Without my parents here, I have learned how to manage situations on my own and how to be independent. This is something different for me since I have never been away from home. I also have managed how to use my time wisely. I do not believe in time management, I just put my top priorities that have the most value first before I do anything else. There are times when things will get tough, like too much homework, hard tests, and essays, but there are ways to get around this. I agree that mistakes are a good thing because we can learn from them. This is what I have learned throughout my first quarter.

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  22. I agree with this post especially number two. Time management is everything in college. There is no time for procrastination if you leave assignments off for the last minute that can really affect your grade. Since I have to commute to school I have to plan out what I'm going to do every day. Sometimes it stressing because commuting takes up so much of my time. College has taught me to be more independent and do things for myself. Being in college has been a reality to check for me because everything you do is on you. I have learned that college can help you achieve your goals in life only if you are determined. College is preparing us for the real world.

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  23. College has taught me a lot directly and indirectly.I can relate to everything on the post above, but this is a list of things that i have learned while being at east bay.
    1. I am not invincible- I am human and i have limits to what i can do. No more running on 5 hours of sleep a day.
    2. Life is what you make it- Its on me to get out of life what I want and no one else
    3. Ask for help- College is not easy and no you can not do everything on your own. ask for help when you need it.
    4. Be aware - There are a lot of things that are going around you that are easy to forget, stay informed and educated.
    5.Feeling like you are lost are normal- These feelings help you grow as a person and help find your way.
    6.Don't quit- Keep moving forward, don't lose hope things will work out.

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  24. college has taught me a couple of the same things as well. though my mom has not done my laundry since i was about ten, however, i still miss her so much and her nagging majority of the time. i definitely have learned about staying off of social media 24/7 which for me relates to do homework the day before, or a couple of days before, not at like two in the morning or during class. this is part of reality. which is true, we cannot escape it no matter what. and reality is if we let our lives be all about social media and putting off important things until the very last minute we will not succeed as well as we should be. reality is also including the financial burden of being an adult. no more relying on mommy all the time for everything i need. i now have a job and am dependent on myself. i pay for all of my school and everything without the help from my mom. being in this reality i have tried my best to be a good person/daughter/student/worker but at times i do fail. which is part of something in relate to from above. making mistakes helps me learn and grow and mature. but another thing i have learned is that friends are just as important as family. being six plus hours away from family is a hard thing to do, especially sine i am so close with them, but being here i have made some great friends and they make me feel like they are my family away from my family.

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  25. College has been an adventurous ride in my life. Tiffany Jones has made some very interesting points that relate to my college experience. Rule number two is about time management, and I am still having trouble with it. I always procrastinate with my homework and I am beginning to realize I need to encourage myself to complete my work when it is assigned. There is always a time in the quarter where I decided to put off my work, and then I am left with a bunch of work with little time to complete it. If I decided to complete my work when it is assigned, I would save myself from a lot of stress. Her rule number three states, “You can’t escape reality - make goals and live up to them.” As i continue to grow, I realized you could either continue to settle for less, or you could constantly continue to dream big until you accomplish all your goals. I have learned life is too short to settle, and we should be able to live our life how we want it. Finally, her most important rule to me is, “Being discouraged is okay”. Throughout my college career, I have been discouraged many times. I constantly question myself everyday if I want to continue to finish school or not. From being disappointed at a test score, class grade, being a broke college student, or thinking that you know it all, but in reality, you don’t have the answers. I often find myself discouraged, but I constantly remind myself that life would be better for me in the long run if I continue to finish school. So i find anything that will motivate me to keep me from failing. I remind myself daily that this is a marathon, and not a race.

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  26. It is nearing the end of my first quarter of college, and I'm willing to admit I'm still a big mess. The transition from high school to college isn't so drastic but it's enough to make an impact. College has taught me that the sacrifices I and other people make and forced to make happen for a reason. Whether it be time or friends or even sleep, it should be for something greater.
    College is slowly teaching me that I need to learn how to be an adult. Now that I'm older, there has to be some things I need to start doing myself, like driving to school or getting a job. My parents can't do everything for me. I'm lucky to have the help of my family, or else I would be screwed before day 1 even began. Since my brother is also attending the same college, he's helped me a lot with finances and teaching me lessons.
    College is also teaching me that I have to start being independent at home as well. I'm thankful that my family still cook dinner and clean the house. Yet I still have a hard time even finishing a load of laundry or even cooking food for myself. I can only imagine how living in the dorms would be like for me. As a goal, I'm hoping to at least gain enough positivity for my mental health, so that I won't be so losing so much energy all the time. So far, I'm taking little steps by managing my time and health better.

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  27. In the short amount of time I've been here in college, I can absolutely say that I've learned a lot about life. I've learned how to live on my own since I'm from Los Angeles. Unlike other people from Northern California who get to see their parent's every weekend because they live so close, I do not get to see mine because I live 7 hours away. It makes me sad and really homesick but at the same time I've learned to cope with it now. I'm an adult and I've came to the realization that my parents will not always be there for me as I'm growing up. Being so far away from home is now seen as a good thing rather than a bad one now that I'm growing up. I've learned how to do laundry by myself, work for my money, make my own food, clean, and other things that being on your own teaches you. If it is one thing that I advise people to do is to move far away from college so it can allow them to grow by themselves. Everyone needs to learn how to be independent sooner or later, why not start in college?

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  28. College has taught me a lot of things. The given advice above is relatable and reminds me of the past experience I have overcome over the course of the years being in college. Some of them I’m still trying to overcome, like the fear of trying new things or failing. College taught me a lot about being independent and the importance of trying. I’m the first in my family to go to college and although, I feel accomplished, I also feel stressed out with the fact that everything is new to me and I have to do things all on my own. Above all, college has taught me the importance of learning new things, especially all on my own. I think that there is beauty in doing things alone because a person develops character when doing things on their own and realizing that it’s okay if they don’t get it right the first time or if it’s something out of their comfort zone. Just keep going and remind yourself of the reason why you’re in college, especially when you feel like giving up.

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  29. I have been taught all the six things mentioned in this blog post…well maybe all except the first one because I still live at home with my parents. The reason I didn’t move out of home was for that exact reason, I wanted to stay with my parents so I could have them around in case I needed anything. Living at home has definitely made college a bit easier and that has definitely helped with the discouragement and mistakes that college life comes with. I agree that both discouragement and making mistakes are a great way to acquire more knowledge, but I also feel like having support through them is key. If there is no support, any “bad” experiences can further discourage you into not enjoying your college education. Escaping reality can sometimes give a person the break they need, but if you wander off too far or for too long it can definitely present setbacks, which is never a good idea. Being on top of your to do list is a must. That’s something that college has definitely taught me.

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  30. The advice given in this blog post was interesting, because a lot of it is true. I am in my second year of college, and I still struggle to manage my time wisely and choose certain priorities over others. I see it all as a process of growing up. You have to make mistakes in order to learn how to grow as a person and become responsible. One thing that I learned in college so far is to be independent. I come from a low income family, so my mother couldn't really help me out very much when it came to expenses. I absolutely hated asking my mom for money, because I knew she was always struggling. That gave me the motive to find a find a job, and now I am currently working two jobs while going to school full-time. College also made me learn that you can never count on anyone during a time of struggle, not even family. I have learned to be on my own and be okay with it. I have learned that everyone has their own story, and it is important to not judge anyone under any circumstances because you never know what they are going through that is unspoken. College has taught me how to be the bigger person in life.

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  31. College teaches you a lot of things, including all those mentioned in this blog post.

    Excelling in school while maintaining a balanced life is made possible through time management. I don't know how many times I regretted waiting the last minute to study for an exam or complete and practice a speech. Even when I did well on an exam I studied for hours prior, there's always a sense of guilt in the way that I was capable of being better than that and accomplishing more than I gave myself to do. Time management is a reflection of your priorities so prioritize well.

    I think that being discouraged and making mistakes go hand in hand in some ways. I know that both of these lessons have helped me grow a lot more than constantly succeeding could.

    One of the things I learned not mentioned in this blog post is that you can't please everyone and that you need to stand your ground. Living in the dorms has been extremely difficult and it is apparent that not all 7 people in one suite will get along or share the same views. Living in the dorms, however, has to taught me a whole lot of patience, communication, and assurance regarding who I am and the things I value in life. So if you're dreading dorm life or have set other expectations, at least you'll know you'll learn something about working with other people.

    I think that that leads to another college lesson: It's okay to be different. In fact, be different. Being around roommates who want to party all the time, I guess sometimes you could feel a little left out, but feeling like you belong is a lot less important when you think about who you want to be and the person you want to become from your college experience. It's okay to be locked up in your bedroom studying for an exam you ace. It's okay to care about your health and be able to show up to your class the next morning sober.

    All these I've learned just in the first year being in college so I know I have a lot more things to learn and a whole journey ahead of me to grow.

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  32. What College has taught me is to always stay true to myself. Once I got into college I was already prepared to make the most of it. I got involved and now I am in so many great programs and organizations. I also was able to get the job I wanted just by showing my face around a lot and volunteering as well. What college has taught me is that there will always be a door open to opportunities but you need to be the one to find it because it will not find you by itself. That you need to go the extra mile in order to find the door you are looking for. College has also taught me that there will hard times in which you feel like no one is going to be around to help. But thankfully I found a group of amazing friends who always have my back no matter the circumstance. College has allowed me to grow into the adult I always wanted to be in life and for that I am forever thankful for having the opportunity to go to a four year institution.

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  33. College has taught me many helpful life skills. I have learned that it is hard to do well in a class without studying. Before in high school, I would never study for a test but I would get an A or B. In college everything is fast paste and if you miss class for one day, you will be left behind. Also do not let personal problem at home interfere with your work at school. That will make you loose focus and make your grades drop drastically. I've also come to learn that there are many helpful resources in college. You just have to learn how to use them. The college wants you to succeed and not fail.

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  34. I think that during this first year as a college student, it has taught me how to be a more responsible and independent person. As an example I growth as a responsible person because right now I don’t live at home anymore where my mother was always worried about me, my classes, my job etc. By being at college I have learned that you have to be organize and be responsible at the same time in order for you to succeed not just at an academic level but also as a individual. In addition, from this experience I have learned how to be an independent person, and how to manage my time, because I am living by my own and the only person worry about me is myself. -Miguel Vasquez

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  35. This is my second year in college and I have realized that it has been a great experience. In fact, it has not been easy it takes dedication and motivation to want to go to school and get everything done. It's true time management is really important because being a full time student you have to put time aside for homework,studying, tests and so on. As you grow older you realize that you have to set goals and have dreams to get where you want to be. I have two part time jobs and I have to manage my time to pay for bills, books,help my family and so forth. I always try looking at the bright side and it's important for a person to have a positive mindset and work for what they want. I have learned to be more independent than what I already was and work more towards my future.It comes at times where I get a bad grade and I feel discouraged and it makes me upset but it's something that I learn from and I always keep on trying. - Maria Sanchez

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  36. The advice from this blog post was really interesting, because since this is my first year of college I find the information relatable and true. This year, I have mostly struggled with time management because I usually spend my time doing other tasks or certain priorities before doing my school work. This causes me to stay up really late doing homework and because of this I will either be late to class or I am too tired to pay attention in class causing me to fall behind in the lectures and materials. College has really taught me that making mistakes are good and not to become discouraged. In high school, when I would make a mistake or fail, I would become discouraged and it would get to me. I have learned that making a mistake is not the end of the world and that I have to continue growing and working hard. Overall, college has taught me how to become an independent person, while staying positive throughout my mistakes and failures. However, I still need to work on my time management by doing my school work before spending my time on social media and doing other priorities.

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  37. What college taught me is quite different from what was listed in the article. Since I had been living in school since middle school, I have been a "big kid" for six years before I go to college. And I had experienced conflicts and being discouraged already.
    What I learn in college, besides knowledge from textbooks, is how to work and study with people. I did not usually have group work in my high school, but it is here in every class! I prefer working alone at the beginning, but when I start working with people, I see the benefit. Working with people can help every one to open up his mind, and we can figure out each other's mistakes and fix them.
    Time management is absolutely a good thing! (Written at the last minute before the extra credit is due)

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  38. During my first year of college, I learned a few things that are listed above through first hand experience. I began my college career excited to be liberated from the chains and shackles that I considered high school. No more teachers telling me what to do,when to do it, how to do it. I had to manage my own time without the help of others and I learned that I spent too much time on the internet and with friends than doing school work. Eventually I was overwhelmed with the workload and started to manage my time better by completing homework between classes and at home. I also went through challenging experiences that had discouraged me, but through that discouragement I pushed myself harder and harder to do better at whatever I was doing whether it was writing essays, or coming up with a good note taking strategy. College has overall taught me that the only person working towards bettering my life and myself is me, and I can't rely on anyone else to help me with that. I learned to focus on myself, my goals and my future and the rest will fall into place.

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  39. This is my third year in college and college has taught me a lot so far. The most important thing that I learned throughout college is time management. I am on the women's basketball team here at East Bay so I am really busy all the time. Having time management is really important for me. I have to schedule out all my classes, when I'm going to do all my hw, make sure I get all my study hall hours in for the week, basketball practice, and of course just down time for my self. I've also learned in college on how to be independent and not depend on my parents for everything. From living with my parents and moving out in college it was a huge culture shock because I had to learn how to be on my own and do things on my own. I can't always rely on my parents to do everything for me.

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  40. College is teaching me to be independent. I no longer have someone telling me I have to go to class and have to do my homework, so I am learning to prioritize what is important for my future. I am still learning how to manage my time and not wait last minute to study or do an assignment but I know I am improving compared to high school. College has also taught me how to budget and be financially independent since I am paying for college with loans and my personal money. I am trying to no longer depend on my parents so budgeting has been a huge help for me. I have only been in college for less than a month and I am excited to see what college will teach me in the future even if it is making mistakes since I know I will learn from them.

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  41. College indeed has taught me these 6 things and more specially being so far away from home. I am who I am today because I left my comfort zone of home. I definitely relied on my parents for everything when I was home. My parents were the ones waking me up as my second alarm, dropping me off right in front of school and always making sure I did my homework. I had it so easy, not having that my first year was so hard because there was no one pushing me or reminding me to do what I had to do. The freedom was too much that it consumed me that first year. I definitely had a hard time transitioning and growing up, But at the end it did make me realize that yes I was alone and that was a good enough reason to fight those lazy mornings.

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  42. Although I have only been in college for a couple months, it has taught me so much in such little time. It has already taught me time management, how to get out of my comfort zone, how to take care of my responsibilities and how to always try to have a back up plan! Unlike high school, I don't have all of my classes in one day, right after another Monday through Friday. For example, I have English only twice a week. Although it is tempting to do the homework the night before or day of, I try my best to do it the day it is assigned. Because I don't have the same classes everyday, it's easy for me to forget what was assigned to me two days ago and I don't have someone to remind me in school about the assignment like high school. This helps me become more responsible and more independent because now I am required to remind myself of what I have to do and when to do it. As far as back up plans, I've always been taught to do that. But in this case (college), I understand I may not be accepted in the nursing program so I need a back up plan in case my plan A does not work.

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  43. College can teach one to be more independent, but I feel as though I'm just as independent as before I moved out. My parents would always work so I'd handle things on my own such as driving myself to places and buying my own things, but college has made my time management skills better. I do my assignments the day they are assigned instead of the day that it is due. I have to plan my schedule ahead of time such as when to do laundry. I study for a midterm at least a week before rather than studying for it a few days before. I also have to depend on myself more than anyone else because the only one that can pull you through everything is yourself. Although my parents aren't physically with me to push my limits, I just remember that I have to do it myself since my education isn't free anymore.

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  44. College was the one thing in my life that I was pretty much terrified of going through. I didn't know what to expect besides the fact that going to college was going to be like "high school on steroids" (my 8th grade English teacher). Having it be my first year of college, I've already learned new things; time management, you can't escape reality, making mistakes, and how to be independent. These four things are what I think are the most important to know as you go throughout college because these are the keys to success. Before college, I feel like time management wasn't something I took as seriously because my teachers would always end up extending deadlines and being really lenient with assignments. Coming in to college, that definitely has changed. If you don't turn in something when it's due, that's it. If you don't spread out enough time to study for an exam and you end up not doing well on your exam(s), then it all depends on how wise you are with your time management. The second thing I learned is that you can't escape reality. I've noticed that some people like to do other things in class (i.e. watch Netflix, watch youtube, text) instead of actually participating and listening during class. Noticing all of that makes me question why these people are actually here. It's frustrating for me to see people coming to class just to slack off. You're here in college for a reason and that's not something you should take lightly. Before college, I was always worried about making mistakes. It never really occurred to me that you have to make mistakes in order to better yourself and get smarter. Lastly, I learned how to become more independent. I've always been a dependent person and learning how to be independent is essential for me in the future because I eventually won't have my parents to help me out anymore. These four things I've learned have helped me tremendously and I know will continue to help me throughout my journey in college.

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  45. There are a couple things that college has taught me. One thing that college has taught me is that he have to think about your future real fast. When I was in high school, I thought about my future mostly when I met with my counselor but rarely outside those meetings. Now that I'm in college I have to think about my future almost every day because it is approaching me faster than I think. Another thing that college has taught me is that it is harder to make friends here than any lower level education institution because you have different classes every three months, which isn't a lot of time to bond with people you don't know. At least from personal experience, I was able to make friends during my first quarter in college, but I barely see some of those friends now and I'll probably not see those friends that much next quarter either. If having class with your friends is your primary source of communication, like it is for me, then it always be really hard to make friends and keep friends.

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  46. College teach me a lot thing, including everything that listed in the article. I think the two significant things that I learn in college are time management and think about my future goal every single day. Time fled fast during college, every assignments, exams, academic works, and more are due faster than what you expected. In college, there will be no one who is going to remind you about the due date, because everything is control by you. You are the one who is decide whether you want to do or not. It is important to have a good time management in college, in order to pass the class. Unlike high school, there are counselors who can remain and help you achieve your goal. In college everything is going to do it by yourself, so it is really important to think about what should do in the next quarter or semester in order to pursuit your career goal.
    Hsin Yi Tseng

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  47. Being in college has been a huge wake up call for me. I agree with everything that was listed. Starting with the beginning, your parents are not there to hold you hand. I consider myself a pretty independent person, but I do tend to rely on my dad as an outlet. Sometimes I need to learn how to get through things on my own and not always having to vent to him about everything. Another huge thing I learned was time management. I never realized how important it really was until I did not really know how to do it. I am only in my second quarter of college and I am just getting the hang of how to manage my school, work and social life. Something that resonated a lot with me was "You can’t escape reality - make goals and live up to them." It is true, you will never be able to escape reality. You will always have some sort of struggle within life. Succeed in everything you put your mind to and be the best version of yourself you could possibly be. The last thing I want to touch on is feeling discouraged. I can not count how many times I felt like I could not do something. Negative thoughts bring on negative actions. The best thing for you to do is say "Maybe I did not do well this time, but now I know, and I will continue to do better". College is a learning experience, I still have a ton to learn, but I feel more prepared.

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  48. I definitely agree, college has taught me how to grow up and get things done even if I don't want to. Although I am still trying to get better at time management , I feel that I have improved a lot at it. Also, college has taught me that I can do a lot more than I think I can, self doubt can be crippling, but those moments of self doubt have made me realize that I can rise above it and even surprise myself.

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  49. I definitely agree, college has taught me how to grow up and get things done even if I don't want to. Although I am still trying to get better at time management , I feel that I have improved a lot at it. Also, college has taught me that I can do a lot more than I think I can, self doubt can be crippling, but those moments of self doubt have made me realize that I can rise above it and even surprise myself.

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  50. I feel like college was a wake up call in some of these aspects in college. I'm a pretty independent person, as I always have just pushed myself to do better. Also, the point that I want to better than my parents, by going to college because they both didn't go to college. I have good time management skills, I've been swimming for 8 hours now and it is really demanding. Having two, two hour practice and swim meets on the weekend, I really needed to have everything planned out. The aspects that I've struggled with in college is that you can't escape reality, there is no way from getting away from it. Also discouragement has been hard. I'm not sure if am i going to change my major or not and lately I have felt discouraged. As, I don't know what I want to do and I ask myself, "is this what I'm supposed to do?" College teaches many lessons that we can all learn from.

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  51. I think this is great advice. I believe all of the advice she offers is true. You really need to know how to manage your time. It's important to get your school work done before you do other things.It's good to know your priorities and know how you should be spending your time. Knowing how to manage your time is essential in success. Learning better time management skills really has helped me so far. Also when she said mistakes are a good thing, that is true as well. You really learn from your mistakes, after a mistake you know what not to do and what to do next time.

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  52. I think this is true. Sadly You can not be a kid you have to learn to be an adult. It didn't hit me that I had to be an adult till first quarter when I got food poisoning and I had to clean my own puke. Mom was not their to give you medicine or clean your throw up. Time management is something I have to work on. I am that student that stays up really late around 2am and 3am when I have an 8am. For some reason I can only concentrate at night but at the end of the day I get my work done and that what counts I can sleep in on the weekends. I agree that discouragement is essential but not all the time. You have to learn to fall before you can fly. I am still trying to grasp the concept that mistakes are a good thing. For example,I am taking Anatomy and physiology and I work my but off stay up late prioritize that class Iam dedicated to that class because the nursing program is competitive. But today ironically I learned that the online homework is not credit or no credit and its worth 13 percent of my grade so lol their goes my hard work I guess the good thing is that Next quarter when I take 2020 A and P I will know but that really doesn't help. So that college you can not escape reality.

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  53. This blog post is very helpful and stands true. As a college student now, I had to adjust from high school to college very quickly. The adjustment of the academic level, freedom, time management etc., all came too fast. I learned that I needed to make personal decisions on my own, become more independently socially and academically. My mother wasn't there to guide or help me. What I have learned from college so far is to work SUPER hard, and you can achieve your goals. I never thought I would be able to finish DVC and transfer to a 4-year university after jus two years, but my career path is heading that way. I am a huge fan of procrastination, not a fan, but I do it a lot. I have learned to just get things done, because eventually it'll be do. College has taught me to be independent, but also take time to relax and focus on personal needs. I have matured over my first two years at DVC (college), and I am excited to transfer to a university and learn and grow more there.

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  54. For the most part I have to agree with this blog post, maybe except the laundry thing...I learned early on that I can't depends on my mother forever in that particular section of life. College has pretty much forced me to be an adult. I no longer had the option of brushing things under the rug knowing my parents will take care of it. All of a sudden I had to take care of everything from the groceries to the phone bill to laundry to formulating a monthly budget. With college I found that time management is hugely important. Before it was not something that I paid much attention too, but now I know better. Although there are some good things college has taught me and that is to relax, take time to focus on my mental and physical well being, and most importantly how to balance school life with my social life and work life.

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  55. I agree with this post because all these things are things that I have learned being in college. College has taught me to be more responsible because you have to actually get up on time for your classes and go see the counselor on your own time. I've also learned that grades are important, but your mental health is too so if you are tired take that nap or if you just need a break, take one.

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  56. I would like to leave comments for each.

    1. Being a big kid is hard

    Of course, yes. I’m from outside of the US, so no family support at my college (but financially supported.) Especially, for community college students, many local students are living their family, so I’m sometimes jealous.

    2. Time management is key to success 
      
    Definitely true. Actually, I haven’t got perfect time management skill on my hand. I often stay up whole night to finish the assignment and I always swear that I will manage well all of what I have to do, go to bed around 12, and get up 7am….etc. Actually, I never keep the promise I just made and wake me up drinking 5 hour energy. It is ridiculous, I know, I know it. I’m transferring to University from this fall semester. I am sure that that will be my last chance to change myself and have time management skills.

    3. You can’t escape reality
     
    It’s true, but we always cannot escape from the reality. we cannot make any change only by daydreaming.

    4. Conflict is essential 

    It’s supposed to be true, but I cannot fully follow this. I guess because I’ am Japanese. We tend to avoid the conflict and argument, and avoid to tell my idea to others. I completely know that saying anything to anyone is more important and can give us the comfortable life, but I’m struggling to adapt myself into that. I’m still trying and I hope I get it sometime.

    5. Being discouraged is okay 
     
    It can be true, but I have not been discouraged in my college life, I guess? What does “being discouraged”mean in this context? I mean, how much? I am always discouraged by much homework, or announcement of the pop quiz, but it didn’t make me discouraged for days. Because I had to overcome step by step. I had not alternatives.

    6. Believe it or not, mistakes are a good thing 

    I don’t think mistakes are good things, of course though it is depending on how big that mistake is. Personally, I am here to transfer to 4 year university. It means I have to keep my grades as high as possible. And I am paying tuition 4-5 times than local students. I cannot waste that. 
    So, I always try not to make mistake in class. And also, I guess “mistakes” in here include the relationships, motivation, job, and so on. I can be convinced by the idea that mistakes are good, but I cannot help thinking not mistake is better than do mistake.

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  57. I believe college teaches you a lot. These six things are relatable and common to almost everyone. Personally I agree with number two. Time management is key. Technology takes up so much of time we don't have to spare. It's a struggle for college students to balance work, school, clubs, and life in general. I also agree with number six. Mistakes are how people learn. I think it is also wise to learn from someone else mistakes so you don't make them yourself. College makes you reflect a lot on who you are and the things you've done. College in itself is a huge lesson.

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  58. College has taught me so much in this first year. It taught me that I don't need my parents all the time and that I can get important stuff done by myself. Like make my own doctors appointments and stuff like that. College has showed me that time management and self management is key to staying caught up with school work because there is no one there to tell me when to get stuff done or go to class. It also taught me to get out my comfort zone and try new things that I usually wouldn't before and how to network. For the most part it taught me how to be responsible for myself and my actions.

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  59. I agree with basically all of these that she states. I think the most important one she mentions is time management because if you do not manage your time right you are basically screwed. I would like to mention a few more skills to techniques I have learned from my first year in college. I learned that you should not be to hard on yourself because we are still young and should not beat ourselves up to much we have the world to do that. Another thing that I learned is make good friends especially if you are not from the town your going to college. I am away from home and one thing that has really helped me is having such amazing friends.

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  60. As my first year of college is coming to an end, looking back, college has really taught me a lot about friendships, money, personal growth, and time management. I've learned that just because you decide to come to college with a friend, doesn't mean you'll remain friends. Money wise, I've learned to hold on to every little penny you have, regardless if you have a job or not. Even though I've learned more about money management, I still don't really uphold to it. I still go out to the mall or order something as soon as my paycheck comes. Personal growth wise; I've learned that I can't really rely on my parents for everything now. At this stage in my life, I need to learn how to solve my own problems and be more independent. In terms of time management, I'm still working on that. I tend to still wait last minute to work on an assignment, but I'm slowly improving. As for the rest of my time in college, I'm eager to see how this all turns out at the end and I'm eager to see the person I will become.

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  61. I agree with all of these statements. Although I am still in my first year of college, I still feel like Iv'e learned a lot of things I didn't know before. Living on my own Iv'e had to learn how to manage my money. I have to prioritize what I need to spend my money on, and not just ask my parents for help. I now save my money instead of spending it all at once. I have also gotten a lot better at not procrastinating as much as I did in high school. I may not have completely fixed the problem, but I am improving. I have also learned that I am capable of fixing things on my own and that I don't need my parents to help me with everything little thing. I look forward to see what else I learn in my following years of being on my own.

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  62. Paniz:
    College has thought me lots of things. I agree with what this paragraph is writing about. You have to push yourself and motivate yourself. There is less attention and caring from family and every responsibility is on you. most of us work beside taking classes so it is hard to manage time. You have to be good at managing and you have to be able to make time to study and do your homework no matter what. You have to be careful about what you are studding and making sure if it is the right major for you. Because that is what will make your future. It is very important. It has also thought me that lots of friendships are temporary and you should not be counting on anybody.

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