Trust me kid, college is easier than high school. by Morgan

Trust me kid, college is easier than high school. by Morgan - January 2014 Scholarship Essay

College is easier than high school, plain and simple. We can choose classes that start well after most working adults have lunch. We have access to huge academic resources, career services, and alumni networks. We live in the same area, so forming study groups that may carry on past a high school student’s curfew (gasp!) are not an issue. But, what really makes college amazing and therefore easier is that most students take classes in fields that interest them. A first year student can choose from a plethora of academic courses that he or she can tailor down to the credit hour. This personalization makes all the difference when it comes to studying. In fact, studying transforms into reinforcement of principles and extrapolation of ideas for the student who enjoys his or her studies. The most effective study method I have found and experience is a satisfying course of study.

During my time in college, I developed study habits out of my genuine interest in the subject matter. Since I am a humanities student—Political Science and Russian language—I read frequently. The study habits I use are for students who read thousands of pages (in different languages) during the semester and who must regurgitate this knowledge on a timed test. Difficult to say the least. The key to doing well on big exams is to genuinely know the material. Students must study throughout the entire semester in order to survive during finals time. Doing the required homework and participating in class often helps ensure the student will understand the lectures. If a student understands the lectures, he or she can ruminate over new ideas. These new ideas will come in handy when, on test day, the professor asks a student to synthesize an entire course within a five paragraph essay. In order to achieve this “rumination,” a student must be serious about study time. Most people do well in either a quiet or low noise environment. It may be boring to simply read Thoreau instead of reading while watching the Kardashians, but college is often a person’s only chance to think quietly for hours every day and think. As we age and have to work to support ourselves, such freedom will surely be missed.

Thus the keys to good grades and, more importantly, well-developed thought processes, are a genuine interest in a student’s course of study and a dedication to thoughtful rumination over the subject matter. No one said college would be easy, but it sure is more relaxed and meaningful than high school.