My freshman year of college is completed. The year was filled with a lot of ups and downs for me. Times where I thought I wasn’t going to make it, academically and physically. There were many times where I would breakdown because of the stresses of schoolwork mixed in with the chaos of dorm life. My only escape was to retreat back home to recharge before starting a new week.

Amidst all the negative things that have happened this year there were plenty of personal positives.  I was able to live in the dorms and bonded with a great group of guys who were all easy to get along with. As the year progressed I became better friends with the guys and an atmosphere of trust was created, enabling a way to talk about problems and challenges that being a college student brings. Another personal positive note was that even though my grades were not fantastically good, I managed to pass all my classes.

One thing I took advantage of at my school was the leadership opportunities; although I was very nervous to try something new I went all in. I would suggest this to anyone who is willing to get out of their comfort zone and make an impact on your campus. Getting involved in your school allows you to meet new people, have fun while making changes in your college community.

Now with summer starting, I am taking the chance to unwind. Trying hard not to think about homework and going to class. To all those who are finished with school for the summer, I recommend you do the same.

When it gets close to starting up the new semester start mentally preparing yourself to get back into the swing of things. Make goals for yourself that you want to accomplish, whether it be increasing your GPA (if it was not so great last year). Your goal does not have to be academic; it could be social like making a goal to establish a friendship with someone who you don’t think you could be friends with. Whatever you choose make it a positive goal that will ultimately benefit you and those around you.

So for all you college students have a great summer, relax, find some new exciting activities to do and keep checking back in for new posts.

Thanks for reading,

firstgencollegekid

Teamwork: Working with others to accomplish a task

Working as a team can help make a big project easier to complete, but it can also make the project more complicated.

Last spring quarter, in Sociology 110, I worked with close friends on a project that lasted all quarter. The only problem was that the group was too large (7 people). This meant that some people initially were given no meaningful work to do while others felt they were carrying the burden of the work.

Working as a team (even when you get to choose the team members) can be very difficult. Sometimes there are disagreements regarding who should lead the team. At other times there are miscommunications regarding how the work should be accomplished. And sometimes there is a team member who acts as though she/he doesn’t need to do any work, but can simply ride on the work of others.

Working with close friends can generate even more tension and unnecessary drama because social issues other than the project at hand can distract the group. Because of this, it can be better to choose acquaintances rather than close friends when assembling a team. Acquaintances are less likely to bring in superfluous issues to the team process.

Although working as a team can be very frustrating, it can also produce results that would never have been accomplished by one person. Greater variety of perspective and work approaches can produce a more creative result. Team members with special expertise such as graphic design, video production, songwriting, choreography, spreadsheet design, software development, object lesson and speech skills can add creative elements that would not be present without their involvement.

However, even when the result is not a better one, the process has merit as a learning experience because it simulates the teamwork that may be needed or expected by a future employer.

Personally, I have had very mixed experiences with teamwork. At times I’ve had to stand by in a presentation while some individuals took credit for work they didn’t do and at other times as with the sociology project, each member of the team was commended by faculty for work well done. So today, while I prefer to work solo, I can speak to how the team process has helped me grow as a student and individual

Going into college, most students want to live a life of freedom from their families and attempt to make it on their own.

Yet what happens when a student struggles and needs that extra push?

A mentor can guide the student through the long and hard road of college life by simply being a trustworthy person to whom the student can vent or share problems and find solutions or just hangout with.

Having a mentor helps a student learn from someone who has been in the same shoes before and knows what it’s like.

Choosing a mentor can be a difficult task.  The best thing to do is ask a counselor at the college and ask for mentoring programs that are looking for mentees. My advice is find someone who you could potentially become great friends with and move past that stage in which it is stranger and stranger meeting and talking. Find things that you both like to do and, if possible, share life stories.

Who knows?  That person might have a similar story to yours.

Meeting goals can be especially difficult when you are caught in your own world of studying and socializing. A mentor can help you plan and come out with success.  Most mentors are wise because they have been there and done that so it’s a smart decision to listen intently to what they are saying and ask questions. Be curious!

If an older mentor kind of thing doesn’t interest you then take a look at peer mentoring groups on campus. This can be one on one or together in groups. A peer mentor can be more comfortable because chances are you might know the person you are meeting really well. This type of mentoring allows for a more personal experience to guide each other through the maze of college, through sharing pains or joys or helping your peer get ready for a big test.

Whatever mentoring route you choose, know that neither of them are going to mess you up.  It’ll make you a better person and boost your confidence knowing that someone is standing in the crowd cheering you on as you run your race.