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I Have Been Published!
Yes, I have been published. There is a local paper in my hometown. It is currently the only paper in like, that entire area of the state that hasn't been bought out by this huge mega-corporation. One of the people who works on it is my neighbor Chad's mom. She asked me if I'd be interested in writing some articles about college. So, I wrote one, sent it in, and this week it was published! In the little intro thing they wrote, they referred to me as a "freelance writer." So, I am a freelance writer! Even though I didn't get paid for it. The article appeared on page 9 and was continued on page 15....however, I was mentioned on the first page! There was a little box featuring the highlights of this week's issue and my article was referred to as an "alumnus who tells us what the first year of college is like." ANYWAY, here is the article!
College, Phase One: Breaking In
My name is Jackie ____. I grew up in (hometown) and graduated from (my high school) in 2004. I am here to tell you about the multi-faceted place called college. Some people go to college to find themselves, some to drink as much as they possibly can, and a few go to study. As I currently don’t know what career I’d like to pursue, I came essentially because all my friends were doing it. Huzzah for peer pressure. I selected UW-Madison as my college of choice: the largest school in the state and one of the top drinking schools in the nation. I chose it for the former reason.
Over this last summer, my parents showed their affection in different ways. Mom bought me a lot of things I’ll never need, such as a pocket-sized sewing kit. Dad imparted random advice. Toward the end of my senior year in high school, he revealed that I was getting to the age where people “start drinking” and if I was ever at a party like that, I should leave. My five-year-old niece drew me pictures saying, “I LOVE UY” to put on my wall. My sister enjoyed wishing me luck on washing my own laundry (I’m a bit of a klutz when it comes to simple household tasks). My brother-in-law constantly told me “The first two months are going to be really, really bad. But don’t worry, everyone feels that way.” Apparently the aura of impending doom was supposed to make me feel better.
Move-in day will come way before you’re ready for it. Saying goodbye to friends and family will also be a lot more difficult than you think it will be, no matter how excited you are to leave. My parents and sister accompanied me on move-in day. I cried, and so did my mom. When they had gone, I was left standing in a room, looking at the things that belonged to someone I’d never met but would live with for the next 9 months. My house fellow (as they’re referred to here at Madison) came and gave me a hug. I still felt overwhelmed, lonely, and sad, and it took a couple weeks for those feelings to go away. I suspect that this is the case with most people, but there are very few who actually admit it. Let’s just say that getting a cell phone plan was a good idea. It was the small things that helped me stick it out. My three-year-old nephew started telling me he loves me at the end of every phone conversation. After visiting home a couple times and using the McDonald’s Hello Kitty cell phone as a teaching device, I think I taught my 1-year-old niece the concept of talking on a telephone. She now says hi to me when I call. My brother even called me from Los Angeles to recommend where to go to rent movies and eat Chinese food.
There are obviously many more things to get accustomed to other than leaving your family behind. I have heard many horror stories about people’s roommates. Fortunately, I lucked out and my roommate and I share a similar sense of humor and many interests, and therefore get along quite well. Daily conversation also takes on new forms. Instead of talking to my parents while watching the news and Wheel of Fortune, I get asked, “So how was your day?” at 1:00 am, when all I want to do is wash my face, brush my teeth, and go to bed. Other girls like to initiate conversation at 7:00 in the morning. I fear that for this reason, some girls might think I’m a bit surlier than I actually am. I’m not exactly talkative before 10:00 am.
Don’t worry, though, members of your floor are not your only potential friends. My advice to anyone reading this that has yet to attend college is that you should definitely try a lot of groups you’re interested in. Make a point of trying out more than you will end up joining. You will weed them out and find people who like the same things you do. It really does help to get through the first couple weeks by giving you something to look forward to. And eventually you’ll get to know people, if not make friends.
Aside from the social aspect of college, there is obviously the academic aspect. Madison is quite a bit larger than other schools. A lot of people have fears of large lectures, but I don’t feel it impedes learning in any way. I feel perfectly comfortable in all my classes, even a lecture of over 475 people. Lectures have discussion groups that meet once a week to review reading assignments and material covered in lecture. Discussions sections are usually led by graduate students, known to us as Teaching Assistants, or TAs. I have TAs who are very good at answering questions, and I also have some who couldn’t answer a straight-forward question to save their life. Luckily, though, all of the TAs are highly knowledgeable in their subject area, and are more than willing to help you if you need it. I have received emails from professors and TAs multiple times every week with study guides, helpful websites to clarify readings, and even websites with jobs in the fields we’re studying. During mid-terms, professors and TAs also often scheduled extra office hours and study sessions.
Once classes stabilize, the fear of picking a major or future career can be overwhelming. Advisors give useful guidance and they know a lot of information about classes and requirements but it’s also good to remember that sometimes you need to do your own research on majors and classes. Just remember that the internet and your university’s website are very useful tools. In short, college can be a foreign and mysterious place unless you take it upon yourself to figure out what’s going on. All the tools are made available to you; the only difference is that there is no longer anyone around to tell you which ones to use.
Let me know what you think, or if you have any suggestions for my next article!
College, Phase One: Breaking In
My name is Jackie ____. I grew up in (hometown) and graduated from (my high school) in 2004. I am here to tell you about the multi-faceted place called college. Some people go to college to find themselves, some to drink as much as they possibly can, and a few go to study. As I currently don’t know what career I’d like to pursue, I came essentially because all my friends were doing it. Huzzah for peer pressure. I selected UW-Madison as my college of choice: the largest school in the state and one of the top drinking schools in the nation. I chose it for the former reason.
Over this last summer, my parents showed their affection in different ways. Mom bought me a lot of things I’ll never need, such as a pocket-sized sewing kit. Dad imparted random advice. Toward the end of my senior year in high school, he revealed that I was getting to the age where people “start drinking” and if I was ever at a party like that, I should leave. My five-year-old niece drew me pictures saying, “I LOVE UY” to put on my wall. My sister enjoyed wishing me luck on washing my own laundry (I’m a bit of a klutz when it comes to simple household tasks). My brother-in-law constantly told me “The first two months are going to be really, really bad. But don’t worry, everyone feels that way.” Apparently the aura of impending doom was supposed to make me feel better.
Move-in day will come way before you’re ready for it. Saying goodbye to friends and family will also be a lot more difficult than you think it will be, no matter how excited you are to leave. My parents and sister accompanied me on move-in day. I cried, and so did my mom. When they had gone, I was left standing in a room, looking at the things that belonged to someone I’d never met but would live with for the next 9 months. My house fellow (as they’re referred to here at Madison) came and gave me a hug. I still felt overwhelmed, lonely, and sad, and it took a couple weeks for those feelings to go away. I suspect that this is the case with most people, but there are very few who actually admit it. Let’s just say that getting a cell phone plan was a good idea. It was the small things that helped me stick it out. My three-year-old nephew started telling me he loves me at the end of every phone conversation. After visiting home a couple times and using the McDonald’s Hello Kitty cell phone as a teaching device, I think I taught my 1-year-old niece the concept of talking on a telephone. She now says hi to me when I call. My brother even called me from Los Angeles to recommend where to go to rent movies and eat Chinese food.
There are obviously many more things to get accustomed to other than leaving your family behind. I have heard many horror stories about people’s roommates. Fortunately, I lucked out and my roommate and I share a similar sense of humor and many interests, and therefore get along quite well. Daily conversation also takes on new forms. Instead of talking to my parents while watching the news and Wheel of Fortune, I get asked, “So how was your day?” at 1:00 am, when all I want to do is wash my face, brush my teeth, and go to bed. Other girls like to initiate conversation at 7:00 in the morning. I fear that for this reason, some girls might think I’m a bit surlier than I actually am. I’m not exactly talkative before 10:00 am.
Don’t worry, though, members of your floor are not your only potential friends. My advice to anyone reading this that has yet to attend college is that you should definitely try a lot of groups you’re interested in. Make a point of trying out more than you will end up joining. You will weed them out and find people who like the same things you do. It really does help to get through the first couple weeks by giving you something to look forward to. And eventually you’ll get to know people, if not make friends.
Aside from the social aspect of college, there is obviously the academic aspect. Madison is quite a bit larger than other schools. A lot of people have fears of large lectures, but I don’t feel it impedes learning in any way. I feel perfectly comfortable in all my classes, even a lecture of over 475 people. Lectures have discussion groups that meet once a week to review reading assignments and material covered in lecture. Discussions sections are usually led by graduate students, known to us as Teaching Assistants, or TAs. I have TAs who are very good at answering questions, and I also have some who couldn’t answer a straight-forward question to save their life. Luckily, though, all of the TAs are highly knowledgeable in their subject area, and are more than willing to help you if you need it. I have received emails from professors and TAs multiple times every week with study guides, helpful websites to clarify readings, and even websites with jobs in the fields we’re studying. During mid-terms, professors and TAs also often scheduled extra office hours and study sessions.
Once classes stabilize, the fear of picking a major or future career can be overwhelming. Advisors give useful guidance and they know a lot of information about classes and requirements but it’s also good to remember that sometimes you need to do your own research on majors and classes. Just remember that the internet and your university’s website are very useful tools. In short, college can be a foreign and mysterious place unless you take it upon yourself to figure out what’s going on. All the tools are made available to you; the only difference is that there is no longer anyone around to tell you which ones to use.
Let me know what you think, or if you have any suggestions for my next article!