Fall 2014 > Youthink PS > 13
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The 3 F's of First Year: A Freshman's
Tale of Truth and Reality
By Christina Luo
W
e've all heard it from our counsellors
and teachers before: university is a
whole new ball game. And even though
I knew that life as a post-secondary
student would be entirely different, nothing
could prepare me for the realities of my first
year of university. To help you avoid the shock
I experienced in freshman year, here are a few
things I learned that will hopefully help you
make a smooth transition from high school to
university.
Friends
When you and your old high-school pals are
dumped into a world of separate and conflicting
schedules, an effort has to be made to plan even
an hour-long exchange. As a result, you'll quickly
discover who your real friends are. Losing con
-
tact with friends is a scary reality, but this will
only make room for the plethora of new faces
you'll meet!
Fun
I'd be lying if I didn't say this: col
-
lege parties are fun. It's fine to in-
dulge in a little partying to relieve
the brutality of x-thousand word
papers. But in just three months,
I witnessed students skip classes,
miss deadlines and barely make it
through the week, with only Friday
night on their minds. It's a harm
-
less act until it becomes a lifestyle.
To avoid this, I try to get a good amount of work
done before going out. Remember, you don't have
to click "attend" to every Facebook invite!
Fails
Oh, the dreaded F grade. One of the most emo
-
tional shockers that many freshmen feel is the
impact of how ridiculously low their grades
drop. I still recall confidently handing in my first
paper only to have it handed back with a solid C.
I'll be honest: a tear may have been shed. A few
of my friends have received F's as final grades
(keep in mind they were straight-A high-school
students)! However, the last thing I want to do
is scare you, because there's no need to worry.
It may take a few frightening mid-term marks,
but every student eventually finds their groove.
It's all about developing good study habits and
maintaining a healthy balance of social time and
homework time.
it's fine to indulge in a little partying, but don't let it affect your grades.
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Langara College
100 West 49th Avenue
Vancouver, BC, Canada V5Y 2Z6
604.323.5241
www.langara.bc.ca
email: advisor@langara.bc.ca
Langara College, located
in Vancouver, BC, Canada,
provides University, Career, and
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and courses to more than
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This is Langara. The college of higher learning.
