“[I]n my first-year-experience course . . . I . . . quickly learned the importance of organizing, managing my time, and staying on top of my assignments.”

Now that her first year is under way, Maria has learned there are some key differences between high school and college, specifically the amount of time she spends studying. “In high school, I studied maybe five hours a week,” she explains. “Now I study many more hours, something I learned was important right away in my first-year-experience course. I also quickly learned the importance of organizing, managing my time, and staying on top of my assignments. Setting goals and finding a purpose for being in college have also led to my success.”

Maria enjoys attending her college. “Here everyone guides you,” she says. “You can ask for help from your instructors, other students, and a lot of other people like tutors or counselors. I think I would be lost at a university in my first year, not having anyone to teach me about the rules of the college and how it is different from high school.”