Western Oregon Journal

Issue date: 9/28/07 Section: Culture

[Click to enlarge]

College is an exciting time full of transitions. Whether you are fresh out of high school, a returning student, or have decided to go back to school after experiencing some of life's other adventures, living the college life can be both rewarding and taxing. Three important things to know are: how to get along with roommates, how to pass classes and how to deal with the social situations.

Most people will have a roommate at some point in their lives. Even if you have shared a room with someone for years, coming to college and dealing with a new person in small quarters can be difficult. The key is to be patient and compromise. There will be conflict, but it is crucial to keep issues in perspective. Heidi Igarashi of the Counseling Center suggests ranking the issue on a scale of 1 to 10 to see how important the issue really is. She says that most of the time, once people sit down and think about the conflict, it is usually low on the scale of importance and realizing that can help deal with the conflict easier.

Many of the other suggestions are fairly basic concepts, such as not taking roommate's possessions without permission, not talking behind their back and not leaving personal belongings in your roommate's space. It is also a good idea to remember that you do not have to be best friends with your roommate. It is perfectly acceptable, and in some cases a better idea, to be friendly with your roommate but have separate lives as well. Just because you room with someone doesn't mean that you have to spend all your time together.

Another obvious part of the college life is the actual classes. The two main concepts that are vital to passing classes are to simply show up and to do the work. It may seem like common sense but many students make the mistake of missing too many classes and not turning in class work. Just following those two guidelines will help prevent you from failing.

While some classes are easy enough to get through, others may require some extra work. Western has posted, on their homepage, a link to their "Keys to Success". The list advises students to be sure to talk to professors if they are having trouble with the class and not be afraid to ask questions. Professors are required to have office hours when students may come by and ask for assistance. The school also offers tutoring in several subjects at no cost. Another suggestion is to study a minimum of 15 hours a week to be better prepared for classes. Following these ideas will help provide students with the keys to get through each term successfully.

It is also important to have healthy interactions with other students on campus; but do not over look the other aspects of college. A great way to meet people is by getting involved on campus, either through clubs, organizations or campus employment. This will provide interaction for students with similar interests and the chance to meet entirely new people. Having friends is vital to help students survive all the stressful times, but it is equally imperative to not spend so much time with friends that academics begin to suffer.

College is a great time to mature and acquire more self awareness, and with some of these guidelines to assist you it can be an all around great experience.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools