While reading through my classmate’s blog posts, I came across Theresa Richmond’s post titled “Unpacking Freshman Year.” She discussed the challenges she faced while at Geneseo and how she has learned from them. Her post influenced me to reflect on my first year of college as it is ending. I realize that in the short time I have been here, I have learned so much about myself, my learning techniques, and growing up.
When I first learned of my acceptance into SUNY Geneseo, I could not contain my excitement towards the new experience I would be undertaking. I was excited to live on my own and take classes that would lead me towards my degree.
I had met my roommate Lauren through a friend from home, and together we found suite mates who seemed like good matches. Coming in as an undeclared student, I had registered for several general education classes that interested me. I was feeling confident and prepared to conquer my freshman year.
Along the way, I have experienced some bumps in the road. I encountered classes, such as astronomy and logic, that presented many challenges. I had to learn to invest a lot of time into my classes in order to succeed in them. Many days, I would have to go to multiple review sessions and spend endless hours in the library so I could understand the material.
College has proven to be quite different from high school. I would tend to study the day before a test and write essay’s in one day and still get good grades. However, I realized that this was not going to work in college. I had to transform my learning techniques, and this was challenging. I learned the importance of completing assignments in advance so I did not have to face more stress than necessary. As stated in the Learning section of the Geneseo Mission Statement, I had to obtain “high expectations for intellectual inquiry, scholarly achievement, and personal growth.” It took me time to learn how to manage an increased work load. However, after adapting my studying techniques, I have learned to manage my time and work hard to succeed. After getting acquainted to the college academics, I feel more prepared to take on my Sophomore year.
Another bump in the road that I encountered was the struggle of living away from home. After never sharing a room with anyone before, I had to adapt to the new environment quickly. I originally thought that I would only have one roommate, but the college assigned me to a room with three people. I had doubts about this situation because I had never met the second girl who I would be sharing a room with for a year. It took us a couple weeks to become acquainted with one another. It was not easy to acclimate to sharing a small room with three people. We had different sleeping preferences which we had to adjust to. We had to learn to set boundaries and prioritize respect to ensure a successful living situation. After implementing these standards and getting to know my roommates, I have come to view them as some of my best friends. We talk to one another about everything and do many campus activities together. We have formed an unbreakable friendship that I could not be more grateful for. Knowing that I will be living with roommates who respect and care for me is comforting. The rooming experience has taught me the importance of keeping an open mind and respecting boundaries. Rewards often arise when partners work through risks together; this experience has has embodied that for me.
As stated in the Geneseo GLOBE, I have developed “personal, professional, and civic plans based on that self-reflection.” Although there have been bumps in the road during my first year of college, I would not have changed anything. I have gained valuable experiences that have prepared me to take on the world once I complete my college career.