Monday, November 29, 2010

Blog 6

These past four months at Tech I have learned a lot. I have learned how to better manage my time so I can balance school and have a social life. Another thing that I have learned is how to study for tests in college. It took me a couple of tests to figure out how to properly study and take these test but I think I have finally figured it out. I have also learned the importance of getting the best teacher, not the best time that fits my schedule. As of right I have no intentions of switching out of mechanical engineering. There is no major, to my knowledge, that offers more flexibility then mechanical engineering. In the past four months I have also discovered that I am a very visual learner. I cannot read a book and expect to understand the material that is in it. I need to have someone stand in front of me and teach me how to do it, that includes doing an example problem. I have also learned that doing the homework in classes helps immensely in understanding the material. Over the next four years I have a lot of goals that I would like to accomplish. My first goal is to become a brother of the fraternity that I pledged to. My next goal is to maintain a GPA of at least a 3.5.  In the next four years I plan on completing at least 3 semesters of co-oping for a company. I would also like to study abroad in Australia or somewhere in the Middle East or china. I would like to also continue to participate in Student Foundation and take on more responsibilities in that organization over the next couple of semesters. Finally I would like to join Connect With Tech so I can help future students make the right choice. I would also like to enjoy my time here on campus, espically the home football games. I always have a lot of fun supporting the team.
The field during a football game
picture taken from

Friday, November 5, 2010

Blog 5

College life is really different then being in high school. In high school I went to class seven hours a day and the teachers always told me what to do for homework and what to study for tests. In college I go to class at most for six hours a day and the teachers never tell me anything about homework or tests in class. I always get emails about homework on Friday night and those ruin my weekend plans. I wish that someone in college would have passed on the following wisdom to me. The saying pick two of the three: social life, grades (school), and sleep is very true. It is difficult but very possible to obtain all three of those things and it takes a lot of self discipline. I also wish someone would have told me about how going to get food is such a hassle. In high school I would always eat meals at a certain time but in college I now have to go set time aside to get food. Also doing small things like cleaning your room up or doing laundry is. If I had to give some advice to a person entering college I would tell them to make friends. They are what help get you through the tough classes and are the people who make college fun. I would also stress the importance of going to class. You learn a lot by just attending class. I would also give them a couple of tips about time management to make sure they get enough sleep, study, and have a social life. If I had to go back and relive a couple of months there isn’t a lot I would change. I have loved being a college student so far. One regret I have is not studying for a couple of tests as well as I should of. I think my life would be less stressful about grades in those classes if I had done better on those tests. I think I have improved my study habits enough to make sure I make really good grades this semester on my finals. The first semester of college sets the tone for the rest of college and I think I am in position to get off on a really good foot.
This cartoon discribes college life perfectly:
picture is from:
http://www.library.vanderbilt.edu/visions/class1912_files/Images_Files/Exploring%20the%20world/AcademicLife/1911_yrbk_pg300_CollegeLife.jpg