Growing up, my parents would tell me that to have a prosperous life, a college education was a must. Both of my parents attended college and became the first in their family to graduate. Fortunately for me, I’m glad to have them on them on this journey as I navigate college life.
College life is a tremendous jump for anyone who decides to take it and not everyone who attends comes in with the same expectations. Being a Northern Illinois University student, I have high hope and expectations for myself. While I would like to have a lot of fun socially, at the same time I know it’s just as important to succeed academically. I believe NIU is an excellent place for me to grow as an individual. I think being able to commute will help me translation better without having to feel homesick at any moment, knowing that I have a strong support system waiting for me back home.
Socially, I want to meet new people. I’m eager in meeting other individuals and learning a little about themselves such as – where they come from, what live is like in their part of the country, why they too choose NIU. I think it’s interesting to get to know people who grew up from a totally different culture/background than myself. Some places I could go achieve this goal is by going to sports events or just working out at the recreational center. Another advantage being from Sycamore has given is that I already know a few friends on campus and that will help make the transition a bit more comfortable.
When it comes to academics, I know I’ll be challenged a bunch specially in CSCI 240 and MATH 206. I know the content and workload will be much tougher than most of my classes in high school. Despite this fact, I feel confident in taking on this challenge and plan to push myself to the fullest of my potential in achieving excellence. My goal is to get a 4.0 in all my sesmters for the next four years. While that my seem outlandish, I always want to set the bar high, because it usually brings the best out of me. I’m often warned by students that if I get behind in my work, to not be afraid to ask for help when needed, so I plan on using all my resources whenever I’m in need of some assistance.
Entering NIU, I knew it would be a time for self-discovery and a chance to experience different trials and tribulations. My impression of my first week at NIU is that there are a few differences that I realized that are different in high school. Such as the sizes of the classes, more responsibilities put onto you, and more freedom, such as leaving class or campus without a hall pass required. A good thing for me is I was able to take some dual credit classes in my senior year for English 103, Math 155, and Composition 100. Taking these courses have given me some idea about what to expect in terms of how they are setup and scheduled throughout the week.