MANILA, Philippines?This is it. You?ve finally graduated from the convent that you called high school, and you?re all set to go to college.
From what you?ve seen in the movies, college looks like a big co-ed adventure with cute classmates hanging out on the lawn, lively discussion groups in the libraries, and overachieving college organizations waiting to embrace you with open arms.
The very idea of being able to wear anything that you want to, take the classes you?re interested in, and cut class without fearing retribution from school authorities is a tempting prospect. It?s definitely enough to make any Catholic schoolchild drool, especially after long years of being ruled by tight-lipped schoolmarms with even thinner eyebrows.
However, a month of university education is enough time to discover that, no, college isn?t the godless mecca that a lot of high schoolers imagine it to be. While the sudden freedom can be intoxicating, a lot of students overdose on it and consequently fail to take responsibility for their actions?hence the rather high dropout rate for college students.
A report on Bulatlat.com says the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) National Commission has pegged the dropout rate at 73 percent.
Here are some tips to help you get through college and not be part of the statistics:
Be a diligent student. While college professors are definitely more lax than high school teachers, chances are, there?s a terror professor tucked into the faculty roster.
Always make sure to show up for classes and submit your homework and projects on time. Unless you?re in a class of over a hundred students, it makes a bad impression on the teacher when you constantly show up late for class, as it smacks of total disrespect for him or her.
Nerdy as it may seem, sit in front of the class. That way, you have no choice but to step up because you?ll probably be called to recite all the time. It also gives the professor a chance to know you more?and that usually translates to better grades, because you won?t be lost in a sea of nameless faces.
Join an organization that you?re really interested in. Don?t join for the sake of joining one. This is a trap that millions of college students fall into. Thinking that their resumes will look better with a long list of orgs, many students sign up for as many orgs as possible, only to end up as minor members.
Join about three at the most, as you won?t be able to properly contribute to more than that. Aim to become a leader in one instead of a member in a dozen.
Spend less time hanging out for no reason. Again, the problem with having too many orgs is that you waste hours on ?tambay? time, pandering to the needs of org officers. You don?t have to spend the time doing homework (even college students need a social life), but cut down on idle hours as much as possible.
Work on your grades. While some students are teased mercilessly for being grade-conscious, remember that they?re usually the ones who end up with better jobs afterwards. Keep tabs on your grades, even if you don?t think you?ll end up on the dean?s list. At least you?ll know where you stand academically. If you graduate with honors, even better.
Keep away from fraternities or sororities in your freshman year. In the first place, most schools don?t allow freshmen to join them. As a freshman, you?re thrown into a foreign environment. Find out what the frats or sororities really do?many of them try to get the ?fresh meat? early, but don?t be swept into the scene before you should.
Know your school. Explore every nook and cranny of the campus. Don?t wait until your graduating year to do this. Memorize the school song, watch plays, cheer loudly at the UAAP games (and not just the men?s basketball), try out all the food stalls. Only then can you call yourself a true-blue student of your school.
Hang out with radically different people. Of course you?ll be drawn to the students who studied in the same high school you went to (or similar ones), but try going out of your comfort zone. Befriend your seatmate or talk to the shy girl in the corner. Don?t let a thick accent or shabby clothes deter you. In fact, you?ll only end up the loser if you let superficial things like that prevent you from getting to know them.
Remember that school isn?t everything. Get some hands-on experience in the field that you?re planning to specialize in: apply for an internship in a prestigious company and go out of your way to learn all that you can about the field. It will definitely improve your schoolwork as well, as your learning experience won?t be limited to the books.
There is a world beyond college. Some people can?t get over college because they had the time of their lives at university, but it eventually hampers their growth as individuals. Go crazy and attend the occasional all-night party, but do all-night studying sessions as well. After all, you?re going to college to be able to create a good life for yourself after school.
