If you wait for inspiration to write you're not a writer, you're a waiter.
Coming into college I knew one thing for sure; managing my time and staying organized. One specific skill I learned from this semester is how to get my work done in the most effective way possible. In high school, the work load was small and simple. It didn’t take much effort to plan what I had to do, get it done on time, and receive a good grade. College is much different from that. It takes a lot more dedication and effort. I was able to slack in high school and still get good grades and make it into honor societies, but now in college, if I want to do well I need to work harder than I ever have before.
College has given me a lot of nights where I want to go out with my friends but in the morning I have a paper due, so I have to chose what would be the best decision. This class has helped me realize what I can and can’t do in a class and succeed. There have been nights where when I was in a situation like that I decided to go out and when I do that I have to wake up early in the morning to finish my work. My results on these papers are directly applicable to the time and effort I put into them.
On the other hand, when I made the right decision to stay in my dorm and do work rather than go out, my grades were able to excel. I was nervous coming into college because I didn’t know if I’d be able to do well in my classes as well as have a fun, active social life. This class, in particular, was very helpful in my advancement in time management and organization skills. Having the willpower to keep my mind focused on school is something I am glad to have learned early on in college, so I know in the future I don’t have to worry about possibly failing classes and getting behind in my work. It was on one of my first papers that I had due in the first semester helped me realize my mistakes and what corrections I had to make. I went out on a Wednesday night with my roommates, and we didn’t get back until so late I couldn’t even start my paper. When I woke up, I was too tired to write it so I went to class without it done and my grade suffered because of it.
For the rest of this year, as well as the upcoming years here at Monmouth as a student, obtaining these skills will be a key asset in my success. As I get my general-education classes out of the way and I begin to take more classes related to my major, I will need to focus more on school work than anything else. Starting next year, I will be living off campus in a house with four of my friends, a full basketball court in the backyard, and a dozen different gaming systems in our huge basement. It will most definitely be easy for me to get distracted when I should be doing my work, even when I don’t go out. Thankfully, this year I was able to learn self-discipline. I plan on implementing these key skills in my future endeavors.
I would like to show my appreciation to all my teacher that I had this semester, especially my college composition teacher. In her class, I learned a multitude of useful writing and life skills. It was with their help and guidance that I learned these vital lessons.