Dear reader, as you come into this article, I ask you to prepare yourself for a large ramble followed by potential word vomit. I make this very clear, as this semester I learned that if the point is to word vomit, you have to make it known. Therefore, I will tell you directly. Apart from that, here is everything I have learned this semester: writing in general has proven to be annoying.
During this time, I have come to find out that creative writing and research writing are annoyingly different. Oh, and if you are used to a specific style of writing, forget it, because you cannot use the same writing style for every course you take. APA formatting is annoying, and so is any format of writing when it comes to a resource page. And also, no one actually knows how to cite sources; they use generators. MyBib is a pretty useful resource page generator, by the way. I learned that from Paige, one of my favorite students whom I have met this semester, who said goodbye to Eastern at the end of spring ‘26.
Furthermore, in the life of academics, if you overachieve, you are most likely going to fail. Not necessarily in the sense that you fail the class, but you simply will not meet your expectations. Not only that, but upperclassmen find it humorous if you want to maintain a 4.0 GPA, but you should not let that stop you from trying. After all, I have also learned that some of your classmates might not like each other, or even might not like you. A lot of people are not always as kind as you might be, so just bear that in mind in class discussions. If your professor offers office hours to you, they are a blessing. Some professors do not respond to their emails within a few days.
Oh, and your second semester? It definitely will not be as easy as your first, especially if your second is in the spring. Also, when you’re meeting with your advisor to register for classes or make the schedule? It is definitely possible to take on more than you can handle. Speaking of, even if you purchase books in advance, you still might not have them in time for your class. You are also not the only one who did not score the way you wanted on that test.
And I also learned you should not wait until the last minute to study for that test, but that you should definitely study for it regardless. Sleep is actually important for you. That reminds me, morning people actually exist somehow. Oh, and right, as much as prioritizing wellness is a good thing, sometimes no sleep is and needs to be an option because endless pages of readings will not read themselves. Back to testing, you can, in fact, actually pass that test, and, like, if you have any classmates from multiple classes? Please form a study group (Props to Aiden and Natalie, plus Destiny from English).
I should also let you know that when you find that one class that will make you cry the first few weeks, stop crying, calm yourself down, and just do what you need to because you might be overcomplicating things (The class turned out to be my favorite by the end of the semester). Utilize your resources, like the Writing Center? Book it. Peer tutoring? Book it. Meet with your TA? Book it! This can actually save your life (Thank you, always, Paige).
Did you bomb your first exam? Because you can somehow still receive an overall grade of an A. You are also, by the way, still expected to participate despite being shy or timid or afraid. Not to mention, you might somehow get a better participation grade when you spoke a little compared to when you spoke a lot.
Also, taking control of your situation gives you a much better turnout than freaking out. I should also let you know now that you should try harder not to procrastinate, never turn your dorm or bed into a place to get work done, and it is impossible to get work done with people in the room who you are not afraid to speak to. Speaking of that, having a designated place for you to study is an excellent idea. Oh, right, the Waltonian office password is ####. In case you were curious, no, not every office has the same password.
Overpreparation can actually reveal that you were never really prepared, and you might actually not have the time to do everything that you think you have the time to do, so genuinely work on managing that. A bit of a random one, but too many people like lemonade drinks at the Eagle’s nest, because they also never have any. But they also never have anything, do they?
Despite my saying that sometimes sleep is optional, a lack of it can and will bite you the next morning and cause you to miss your 9 a.m. class. Sleep is also good for memory, by the way, and some professors take offense if you yawn in their class. It is also very noticeable when you are yawning in class. It is also very difficult to try not to yawn or fight for wakefulness in a late class when you have already had no sleep.
Something I did not learn but already knew is that it is recommended for you to always come to class. Something I did learn? Some people sign up for a class and decide to just not show up all semester anyway. Whether or not you need more wellness tips, I have clearly learned many. Firstly, you should probably eat. Don’t believe me? Come back when you’ve learned that it is possible to almost pass out in the middle of class. It is worth it to talk to upperclassmen who have taken the class you are currently in. It is always worth it to reach out to people. Some people might easily forget about you, but that does not mean you are unimportant.
You cannot allow your fears to overcome you, and despite your feelings, you are not alone. It is okay to be sad as well, and everyone has so much more going on in their lives than you realize. And I mean that, like, so. much. going. on.
