Student shares college wisdoms
Tyler Gilliam
Issue date: 8/28/08 Section: Features
While you were wasting your summer traveling, swimming, or playing video games, I was working hard to gear up for school. If you believe that, you should also know that I'm a Harlem Globetrotter, a Victoria's Secret model, and I hold a Ph. D. in astrophysics.
No, while you were wasting your summer, I was busy doing, or should I say not doing, the very same thing.
When the Progress started sending emails to the staff three weeks ago, I was shocked out of my lazy alternate world and sent back to reality, back to work, and back to EKU.
As I sat pondering what piece of knowledge to impart on my readers, especially my new readers, I kept coming back to my college experience.
Once upon a time, I was but a lowly high school student constantly roaming the halls, often attending class, and occasionally paying attention. I got a wake up call in the middle of senior year and realized I hadn't bothered to take the ACT. Oops. I signed up and pushed it to the back of my mind.
Fast-forward to the night before ACT and all was quiet throughout my house. No one was stirring, not even a mouse-until after 2 a.m. when I trudged in after a concert and passed out on the couch. I woke up shortly before ACT time, very shortly before ACT time. So I drove to the school unshaven, sans shower, stinking of smoke. I passed with flying colors and in February I was off to orientation at, cringe, Western.
They had doughnuts and Sierra Mist, a backbreaking hike uphill, both ways, to class, and a mascot that for some reason made me want to eat McDonalds. But, lo, WKU was not for me. I quickly made my way to merry old Richmond.
I'm a commuter, born and raised. My first day involved a 45-minute drive to campus, and another 45 minutes driving around the parking lot. My first class, MAT 105, started at 9:30. I arrived promptly at 10.
Apparently I hadn't missed anything because the class was learning how to change decimals into percentages. Let me save you some time. Move the decimal two positions to the right. I walked out of my first college class.
I tested out of math, and as time wore on I settled in to my other classes. So don't get me wrong, I've learned a lot since my first semester. There's a lot to learn here and a lot of good people to learn from at EKU. My advice: Pay attention. Ask questions. Explore your interests. Take a basket weaving class. Lose your iPod and meet some new people. You never know-they might like you. Oh, and do whatever you want during the summer. Pretty soon life will kick into high gear, and you won't have that chance again.
No, while you were wasting your summer, I was busy doing, or should I say not doing, the very same thing.
When the Progress started sending emails to the staff three weeks ago, I was shocked out of my lazy alternate world and sent back to reality, back to work, and back to EKU.
As I sat pondering what piece of knowledge to impart on my readers, especially my new readers, I kept coming back to my college experience.
Once upon a time, I was but a lowly high school student constantly roaming the halls, often attending class, and occasionally paying attention. I got a wake up call in the middle of senior year and realized I hadn't bothered to take the ACT. Oops. I signed up and pushed it to the back of my mind.
Fast-forward to the night before ACT and all was quiet throughout my house. No one was stirring, not even a mouse-until after 2 a.m. when I trudged in after a concert and passed out on the couch. I woke up shortly before ACT time, very shortly before ACT time. So I drove to the school unshaven, sans shower, stinking of smoke. I passed with flying colors and in February I was off to orientation at, cringe, Western.
They had doughnuts and Sierra Mist, a backbreaking hike uphill, both ways, to class, and a mascot that for some reason made me want to eat McDonalds. But, lo, WKU was not for me. I quickly made my way to merry old Richmond.
I'm a commuter, born and raised. My first day involved a 45-minute drive to campus, and another 45 minutes driving around the parking lot. My first class, MAT 105, started at 9:30. I arrived promptly at 10.
Apparently I hadn't missed anything because the class was learning how to change decimals into percentages. Let me save you some time. Move the decimal two positions to the right. I walked out of my first college class.
I tested out of math, and as time wore on I settled in to my other classes. So don't get me wrong, I've learned a lot since my first semester. There's a lot to learn here and a lot of good people to learn from at EKU. My advice: Pay attention. Ask questions. Explore your interests. Take a basket weaving class. Lose your iPod and meet some new people. You never know-they might like you. Oh, and do whatever you want during the summer. Pretty soon life will kick into high gear, and you won't have that chance again.
