College has been quite the adventure. It is nothing like I imagined it to be. I have been learning so much. I am finding out what I like and don’t like. The weeks have been going so fast. I cannot believe I have almost finished my first semester. This semester has been tougher than first semester. First semester was new and exciting. This semester I am taking mostly pre-requisite courses and not finding them very interesting. It has been a challenge for me to find motivation to study and keep up my grades.
After taking the first exams in all of my classes I saw that I should to be putting more work and focus into my school work. So, I started spending all of my time in the library. I thought that going to the library would magically make my grades better. It did help me to study with less distractions, but I realized I was spending all of my time on my homework and studying. I forgot to do the fun things. I forgot to take time for myself and enjoy my time in college. I would put off spending time with friends, because I thought I needed to be studying. After taking the second round of exams, I realized that my grades were improving, but not by much. All that time in the library wasn’t actually helping me learn. I was exhausting my brain because I forgot to take time for myself and give my brain a break.
One of my coaches always told me, “work smarter, not harder”. I realized that instead of spending ALL of my hours in the library, I should be learning how to actually study and retain information, instead of exhausting my brain and then forgetting everything. I also learned that it is completely acceptable to take brain breaks. It is good to take a break and catch up with friends, volunteer, or do an activity of some type. I managed to do all of those things in high school and saw good results in my school work, so those things should work in college, right?! Giving the brain a break really does help.
As I go into my next three weeks of college, I am focusing on managing my time better and studying effectively so I can enjoy my last couple of weeks at school. The weather is getting nice and I cannot wait to get outside and explore more at St. Ben’s. There is time to do more than just study. Schools does not have to take over. It is important to enjoy where I am at in my life right now. Grades matter, but they are not everything. College is all about learning. For me, I am learning how to study effectively. I am looking forward to next semester and getting the chance to take more classes that interest me.
Thank you for taking a few minutes out of your day to read about what my semester has looked like. Remember to work smarter, not harder!
- Grace
Gifted with Grace 