Think for yourself - College Jargon

This is a reflection of my initial college experiences.

Upon first entering FIU, I was not fearful, even though I felt I should have been. The night before the first day of school, I slept fine (despite going to sleep late)and I was not anxious or nervous in the least bit. I was always telling myself in high school that I couldn't wait for college life: the freedom, the challenges, the new faces, the responsibility. I droned through my last few months of senior year, expecting big new changes and a totally new environment. I'm happy to say, I was not disappointed. I felt right at home. Even before my first day at school, I had been to FIU a few times: two days for orientation, and a few other meetings with the Honors college (which I still hadn't heard from after I chose my schedule). I kept meeting with them to ask if they had made a decision as to whether I was in the Honors college or not, as the first day of class was fast approaching and I had not received a letter of acceptance. After several attempts at their offices and phones, they finally told me they had lost my essay and couldn't find it. I was so damn pissed. Why didn't they let me know so I could send them another one??!!? I had already heard about FIU having a notorious reputation for disorganization but these seemed ridiculous to me. Either way, there is a happy ending and I was accepted (hopefully not because they felt bad about losing my paper, which I have often pondered), and my angered subdued. So the multiple visits in turned allowed me to know my way around the campus, so the first day was a breeze. I sat in front of every class like a nerd and tentatively took notes about every useless detail. When my breaks in between classes came, I was at a loss for what to do. What can one do? My friends are in class, I haven't been assigned homework, class doesn't start for another hour. I actually had free time. How quickly that has changed in a few weeks. Now, at every break I get, I'm doing homework or studying for one of my many classes. I look back and feel like I've been in college all along. I'm talking about majors, minors, BA's, breaks, cafes, credits, semesters, and garages; all unknown to my previous high school self. I have to worry about getting to school early enough, not for class, but to get a decent parking. I have to turn in essays online and assimilate to hybrid classrooms. I have to refer to my syllabus like a bible, and if I forget to look at it, I won't be reminded. I'm expected to bring books to class and have them the first day. I'm also expected to pay an ass load for them. I haven't missed a class to date but I could, and no one would notice in a classroom of 308. I'm expected to do a million assignments and be able to balance them all perfectly and ace the class, not to mention all my other home/work obligations. So what does a lowly freshmen make of all this? Well, this lowly freshmen loves it. High school was boring for me. I was never satisfied with the atmosphere and some of the material seemed annoyingly easy. In college, everyone is there because they want to be (for the most part). Students are focused and contribute. Professors are concise and don't bullshit around. Classrooms offer different ways of learning, and don't offer tedious busywork when you don't really need it for the course. Projects/Assignments are challenging and force you to think outside the box. You actually have to read assigned books/textbooks to pass. You don't do homework unless you feel you need to. You are your own advisor, set your own schedule, manage your priorities, and take the classes that best suit you. Even though it might seem overwhelming at first, you learn how to handle responsibility.