Transitioning into college life

Some big changes are happening in my life and transitioning to college life is one of them. This change comes with many responsibilities along with challenges that I have to overcome.

Finishing life in secondary school is a really sad but also a nice moment in time where new and exciting part of life begins. The last few days walking around the school campus really started to bring back all the previous 6 years and all the good memories I had on and off campus with fellow students and teachers. Every morning being dropped in at 7:45 and not leaving until 5 or 6 some days really felt like my whole day was spent there. Some days going in when it was pitch black and needing a torch to open my locker and leaving from the hockey pitches under the flood lights.

Being able to talk to people every morning really was a highlight of my day. There being many mornings which started on a low and wanting to go home after talking to certain people however after some other people coming in my day really started to turn around. There have been many ups and downs through out the 6 years but overall they have been a great 6 years that I will always look back on as a highlight of my life.

After finishing my exams it was time to move on to college. This is the first time in my life where my education has become optional. A time where you can choose to study on a certain topic in greater detail than you have ever before done. This is what intrigued me, getting to study something that I have always had an interested in but only been able to do on the side while balancing school work. Having an interest in technology I knew this was going to be the area I was going to study in. With an interest in both design and development this is how I ended up in Creative Computing a 4 year BSc [Hons] course.

The Transition

It was daunting at the start to say the least, starting in a brand new college being the lowest of the low and not knowing my way round was a struggle at first. Luckily I knew someone starting in the same course as me, this was a real help that made it easier to manage this transition. Soon enough I made some friends which has been nice as I am not only relying on one person. However life has completely changed there is no waking up at 7am every day to start at 9pm and no waiting for that bell to ring at 4pm to signal the end of the day. Every day is different, there are some days where I start at 9pm however others where I am not in until 10pm or even 11pm. Finishing a day of lectures is also constantly changing days where I finish at 12pm or 2pm really make my day feel short while finishing at 6pm can really make my day drag out that bit longer. Finishing earlier has really made me feel like I much more time in the day to do what I want and coming home with little to no work has really made the transition easier.

Saying all this I don’t find myself challenged enough and have found many lectures stressful for the sole reason of being bored. Not being able to work at my own pace has really been a struggle as I have felt like I am driving around New York city in a taxi each and every day through rush hour traffic. However once my lectures finish I can go back to working at my own speed and continue to do something I love. There are some lecture where everything is totally new and I have never done before but when you get given a task that you complete in thirty minutes when you have two hours it can be hard to keep myself motivated.

I will never forget walking into my lecture only a few weeks in to have my lecture turn around and ask me to give a demo to the class. Not knowing what to do I said yes straight away. Not being great with public speaking this was not something that I was comfortable doing even in front of people I have known for years. Yet I rose to the challenge and did the best I could.

4 Months In

Time has flown by and suddenly I find myself nearly four months into college life. I have handed in my first CA and completed many labs. I have begun to work at my own pace with lectures having to give me extra work to keep me doing something. Studying something that I truly enjoy and have chosen to study is something that really appeals to me. Working on a project late at night no longer feels like pain and not being motivated as I don’t see the relevance of it in my life. It now feels like fun and just doing something I love. It feels like just working on my hobby something that you would be happy doing for days and days on end.

Having so much free time has been a blessing and a curse. With a great amount of free time it can be nice to relax and rest however I find that it can get boring fast and I want to get out and do something and be productive with my life. However I can find that there are times where I have nothing to do. This is just an excuse which I need to stop using there is always something to do and it is just a case up getting up and doing it. It is easy to just make excuses for everything but at the end of the day you are only cheating yourself and as days past you can’t re-live them. Make the most of each and every day and life it like it could be your last. Do something new, challenge yourself and put yourself in positions where you are uncomfortable, power though and reward yourself with success.

Life is only as good as what you make of it.

Don’t let other people bring you down. Surround yourself with people that care about you, help turn you into a better person and most importantly make you happy. Be kind to others and they will be kind in return. Be positive and good things will follow.

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