Sunday, September 4, 2011

Orientation Part Two, Classes Day One

Okay, so my last post I left off with telling you about how there was an orientation dance. Well, to say the least, the dance was bumping. It was a blast whether you were dancing with a girl/guy, or just with your group of friends. The rest of orientation went awesome, with a hypnotist, a juggler, and many other events going on!
As for the first day of classes, I went into it feeling a little bit nervous about who was in my classes, what my professors would be like, and what the homework situation would be like. The nerves went away when I saw a lot of familiar faces in all of my classes. It's actually pretty cool because in my first year seminar, The Examined Life, all of the people from my orientation group are in there. That right away gave me connections, making me feel comfortable. For the rest of my classes, I'm taking Psychology, Media Revolutions, and French. Psychology and Media Revolutions are both really interesting, and my professors are down to earth teachers that seem passionate about what they teach. On the other hand, I think French will be the most difficult class on my schedule because it requires a lot of focus since my professor only speaks in french, and the class is also at 8:40am.
As for the homework situation.... I've only been here for a little more than a week and I've noticed that the homework situation is a lot different from high school in many ways, so here are some tips on how to deal with the work:
Find a balance between homework and social life: It may be hard to deny going out with your friends to Burlington or just to hang out in the quad, but getting your homework out of the way should be your top priority. Even just working on your homework for an hour and then meeting up with your friends later will be beneficial to you. It will give you a head start on it so it's not all saved up for Sunday.
Find a study place that works for you: Depending on the hours, the dorms can or cannot be loud. If the dorms are loud, then I usually go to the library where there are computer labs and tables to sit at and do homework. The library is a great place to go to concentrate and do work. The library is open until 1am on every day but Friday and Saturday, so it's great!
 Invest in a planner: All I can say is thank god for the invention of a planner. Keeping yourself organized with assignments is crucial. You never want to fall behind in a class, because the work piles up quicker than you would expect.
Use your resources if you're struggling with an assignment: Don't hesitate to e-mail a professor about the homework assignment or ask someone in your class for help! Also, there are plenty of tutors on campus and other outlooks (such as the Writing Center) that are willing to help.

Hopefully you'll find these tips helpful! For now, I'm off to the Champlain Valley Fair to go see Sugarland and Sara Bareilles.
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