Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - May/June 2015 - (Page 40)

one step ahead Six Things Incoming College Students Should Know Now that I'm about to graduate from college, I realize how much I've changed in the past four years. Looking back, I realize that there were some things I was prepared for when I started and some things I wasn't. For those of you who are as antsy and excited and utterly terrified as I was, here are a few things I wish I'd known. College is not the real world. Whether you end up at a large university or a small liberal arts school, college is going to feel a lot like summer camp sometimes, what with being surrounded by a bunch of people your age all in the same boat. Don't delude yourself that college is real-life adulthood. Rather, think of college as transition from high school into adulthood. In the real world, you will not be able to satisfy that 2:00 a.m. ice cream craving at the dining hall. In real life, you won't be able to get extensions on deadlines by pleading in one-line emails. Enjoy these unique perks while you can! But that doesn't mean you shouldn't take it seriously. College is fun, and you have a lot of freedom, and sometimes it feels like the world outside doesn't apply to you. But remember the real world does still exist out there-and college is supposed to help you get ready for it. Remember that you're there to learn. A few people I met freshman year won't be receiving diplomas with my class because they saw college as one big party. Have fun, but remember: everything in moderation. College is not like high school. Sometimes a professor will give you an assignment that you think will take at least three days to complete and tell you it's due tomorrow. A lot of professors won't remind you when assignments are due. No one is going to hold your hand. Buy a planner, pin a calendar to your wall, pace yourself. If you have problems with roommates, or issues with dining or other services, you have to speak up about it. But administration and faculty know that you're in the process of 40 imagine by Jenna Tramonti growing up and figuring yourself out, so they're usually willing to help-if you step up to ask. ... Yet college is a lot like high school. There will be cliques. There will be peer pressure-lots of it. College gives you an opportunity to step out of your comfort zone and try new things, which is great! But just like in high school, don't compromise yourself to impress people. At college, I have grown into myself as I learned which of my values and principles matter most to me. The most important thing is to trust yourself. You are going to be homesick. Whether it hits you when you move into your tiny freshman dorm or when you're a seasoned sophomore filling out study abroad applications, once in a while, you'll get homesick. Homesickness means different things to different people; it can be anything from missing the way your mom cooks spaghetti to the way your hometown sounds at twilight when you're lying in bed. It's normal, and you'll survive. The best thing to do is keep yourself busy. Surround yourself with friends. Call home if you need to. It doesn't mean you're weak. It just means you're a human adapting to change. Everyone's college experience is different. I know it may be difficult to do, but my number one piece of advice for you, incoming freshman, is to let go of your expectations. Your experience will depend on how you take what your school has to offer and make it into something uniquely yours. There will be times you hate where you are, and there will be times when you can't imagine being anywhere else. It's called growing up. And that, really (at least for me), is what college is: four years of meeting interesting people, learning things you'd never imagined you would, and growing up. The person you are as you read this is not the person you will be when you walk across the stage at your college graduation. So be yourself. Make those years count by making them your own. n Jenna Tramonti is a senior English major and journalism minor at Wheaton College in Norton, MA, where she co-directs the Wheaton tap dance team and contributes to the literary magazine, Rushlight. After college, she hopes to pursue a career in writing, editing, or publishing. May/June 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - May/June 2015

Big Picture
In My Own Words Daniel Kammen, Professor of Energy, UC Berkeley
A Solar-Powered Solution to the Water Crisis Using the sun to purify water
The PolluCell Generating electricity using waste and pollution
More than a Race The Solar Car Challenge
Energy Agenda The power of teen research
Energized! A crash course in fuels of the future
Grease Is Good Helping the environment and the community with biofuel
Fueled by Algae Sara Volz and the powerful potential of pond scum
The Future of Energy Five careers in green power
My Sanskrit Yaatra Connecting with my culture through language
Devoted Awareness My internship with Until There’s a Cure
Selected Opportunities and Resources
Off the Shelf Review of Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man
Word Wise
Exploring Career Options Interview with green architect Andrew Thompson
One Step Ahead Six things incoming college students should know
Planning Ahead for College Developing your passions
Students Review: University of Pennsylvania
Creative Minds Imagine
Mark Your Calendar
Knossos Games

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - May/June 2015