Apology number one: I am sorry, my dear blog for neglecting you.
Apology number two: I am sorry, self, for severely neglecting you as well.
Phew, glad we got that out of the way!
Last semester (my first semester at Mills College) was vastly overwhelming, exhilarating, and scary as all hell. At first, they gave me an academic advisor from the wrong department, then I had no advisor, and then I finally had the fortune of acquiring a lovely professor named Priya Shimpi as my academic advisor. My declared major is Child Development, and I must say that I am having a great time getting to know myself as an educator and a true student. This last semester, I learned more about myself and my goals than I ever thought I would. It has felt like a hearty step into the real world (with hints of childhood nostalgia whilst galavanting around the dorms, through San Francisco, and around campus at all hours, etc.) that must not be taken for granted.
This semester is completely different from last semester, which has its pros and cons. I am living off campus and renting a room from a delightful individual who also shares a passion for education. I am taking 6 classes (apparently I didn't inflict enough damage upon my poor brain last semester), and I am working two jobs and an internship at Burbank Special Education school in Oakland. Oh, and I forgot to mention- I obtained a 4.0 GPA last semester! *pat on the back*.
Do's and Don't's for the newly immersed undergrad:
- Do NOT underestimate your ability to get an entire paper finished in one night...while under the influence of who knows what.
- DO overestimate what you know. You do not know everything, don't assume that you do, or your professors will put you on their shit list.
- DO YOUR HOMEWORK. You don't pay all of that money not to, so do it.
- Plan for roadblocks and hard times. You are in college, and unless you are a trust fund baby, you will not have an amazingly unlimited amount of dispensable funds.
- Put aside time for a social life. It is so easy to get caught up in the rigors and stressors of academia. Lord knows I do.
- Know where you are going with your major. Don't major in Ethnic Studies because you hate the man. Major in something that interests you and allows you to be productive in society.
- Last, but not least, make payments on your student loans. It will help offset the costs of payments that you will have to make on compounded interest once you graduate.
Hope these are helpful and inspiring tips for you. So now, I must get back to my homework.
By the way...homework never ends. If you ever hear someone state that they finished all of their homework, doubt them. Genuinely doubt them.
