The fall semester has come to an end, leaving a lot of students extremely relieved. Being a student is not easy and being fully engaged under a heavy load of units can be challenging to maintain as the semester progresses.
A lot of students have the burden of working full time jobs while trying to commit academically. It is highly advised that students study for about three hours for each unit that they are taking to maximize their success in a course. If a student is taking a typical 12-15 unit semester, that is a 36-45 hour commitment. Studying time, combination with a full time job (typically for minimum wages) equates to 76 hours a week, or ten hours a day including Saturday and Sunday.
With enough motivation anything is possible however the commitment is very real and shouldn’t be taken for granted. It is not only time that is against most students but there are a host of other challenges they face as well.
Unlike doing a job that one can learn to do well over time, students are faced with increasing challenges and expectations as their courses play out. They must get to know and understand each professor and follow their style of instruction. Students must also be able to adapt in various ways in order to demonstrate their knowledge, depending on the method of evaluation a certain professor may use.
Not everyone learns the same and not everyone benefits from cramming information to take a bubble test; only to quickly forget the information months later. Some professors use a variety of methods to evaluate their students. This can sometimes allow students to demonstrate their knowledge in a fashion that is conducive to the way they learn.
Living in San Diego is costly and students, with little to no support from their family, may find themselves struggling to support themselves financially. Some students have to live in cramped apartments with roommates and take public transportation which further cuts into their time budget. A lot of students find themselves balancing on the brink of financial existence and economic autonomy.
Students in community colleges who are planning to transfer may have to accumulate student loan debt in order to fund the continuance of their education. The unfortunate reality is that many students will have lingering student loan debt long after they graduate. However, the cost is worth it and it is a tangible investment into their future. While a college education may not provide a student with all of the promises they had hoped for, the “greatest value of a college degree right now for new graduates is that it remains the screening device for basically any job,” according to the Washington Post.
College is by no means the only method of acquiring knowledge, though the academic rigors and continual challenges add up and accumulates quickly. Students should trust the process even though it is not perfect, because a scholastic education is invaluable to the student and their society.
The best thing a student can do is figure out how they learn and use that to their advantage throughout college. They should also try to do everything they can in order to succeed.
Other tips include, not focusing on the past or future too much and instead being present while they are on campus and in their classes. College is an experience in one’s life and part of their journey—what’s the hurry? They should try to enjoy the process because journeys are more important than destinations.
