1A: College is to Stress as Cake is to Diabetes

We all know that transitioning into the college life is no cake walk, but it truly is a different world.

http://academyblog.wordpress.com/2011/01/17/students-a-tip-to-relieve-stress-and-improve-test-scores/

My first day of college is tomorrow and I'll admit to you that I am scared out of my mind. I think I can speak for just about everyone my age who has been conditioned since day one to study, work hard, and get good grades so that we can get into a good college. Now I've been accepted and classes start sooner than I'm prepared for, but they never teach you about what comes next. My goal up to this point in my life has been to get into college, so what goals am I supposed to have now? To study, work hard, and get good grades so that I can get a good job? Its a never-ending cycle. College is where you are supposed to figure out exactly who you are and what you are going to do with the rest of your life. That is an awful lot of pressure, but I'm not complaining. 

As said by  Reverend Edward A. Malloy who has served in leadership roles as chair of the American Council on Education, the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, and Campus Compact, "A college degree is not a sign that one is a finished product but an indication a person is prepared for life". 

I am attending Southern Connecticut State University, and I hope to be a teacher some day. However, I'm not a huge fan of talking about the future. Even the best laid plans can fall apart. I am sure I will change and grow as a person in the next few years, so who knows where I'm destined to end up? This year as I bound into a life of independence and freedom I can only hope to become a better-rounded person. Education should be about being encouraged to learn in ways that are intriguing and fulfilling. Schooling up to this point has consisted of memorizing useless facts and being taught at. My only wish for my professors is that they teach in ways that will make me think, question, and absorb. 

Of course the main reason everyone attends a college is to get that almighty degree that they hope will be their golden ticket through the gate to the job of their dreams, but I want to gain so much more than a piece of paper. The college experience right now is about learning with an open-mind, accepting new ways of thinking, opening your eyes to new people, places, and opportunities. The change is palpable just being on the campus of SCSU. Looking around and not having anyone tell you what to do, and having the world in your hands is an incredible feeling. As of now I'm attempting to take it all in, but tomorrow when I walk through the threshold of Engleman Hall, who knows?