Jasmin S.

The freedom, while living on campus, to have an open social life and maintain my lifestyle at home has proven to be my biggest distractions from my academics. The academic aspect of college is challenging in itself, but adding friends, family, a job, (a lack of) money, and a boyfriend sometimes causes my focus to shift from school to other, more personal, aspects of my life. Money is always on my mind because, although I do not have a job, I don’t want to take out any student loans and I would like to have some extra money, so I can go out to eat with my friends. Some of my family members live near campus and ask to visit, but I do not always have the time to fit them into my schedule, so sometimes the time I had allocated for schoolwork is sacrificed. Although I do not see my boyfriend regularly, when I do, I highly anticipate seeing him, which causes me to be distracted from doing my schoolwork. Time management has become a crucial skill that allows me to balance various aspects my life and to achieve academic success as well as maintain a healthy social life.

The independence of college has forced me to keep a more regimented schedule of my classes and assignments than high school ever did. Although my relationship with the Wayne State professors does feel somewhat personal, they do not push me, as an individual, to succeed academically. If you miss half of the semester, no questions will be asked, you will simply receive a failing grade. Homework is not often assigned, but when it is, the workload is oftentimes daunting as it is an essay or a project that will account for a sizable part of my grade. I then feel overwhelmed and find myself doing assignments at the last minute because I would rather go to a party, eat downtown, or simply spend time with my friends than complete the assignment. Independence from my parents has also caused my academic motivation to decline. My mother would regularly check for any missing assignments or low grades when I was in high school, but in college I do not feel that same external pressure. Yet, despite external pressures being lifted, I have still managed to excel in my classes because I am excited to be studying material that I am passionate about. Another reason I believe I have been successful in college is because I have used the tips given to me by my parents and former teachers to create study skills that are useful for me and that motivate me to complete my work in a timely manner.