I truly believe that everyone remembers their freshman year professors. When I look back on my freshman year of college, I normally look back on the professors that I had and how they impacted not only my education but my view of the world and life itself. I still look back and feel genuine respect for the professors who helped me find my footing for controversial matters and helped me when I needed it the most. What impacted me most was not what they taught me according to their syllabus, but rather what came from it.
My freshman year professors were the ones who convinced me to move forward with my decision to major in a
They helped me pick out classes and handle situations I did not know how to handle. They're the one who taught me to look at the world through the eyes of an adult and not a high school student. Here are the ten major lessons that my professors taught me to get me there.
Lesson Number One: Those who think they are good writers are crap and those who think they are bad writers are always good.
This lesson came from my freshman year English professor. The conversation came up when I was in his office hours for a final project and he complimented my writing skills. I brushed off the comment as flattery and told him I did not believe that I was really all that good. He put this piece of knowledge on my plate and I have yet to forget this lesson. Not only did his wise words help me remain humble throughout my writing journey, but it helped me understand that pride comes before a fall. I learned a lot in English 1101, but this lesson is one that will stick with my throughout my career. I cannot explain why it made such a big impact on me, but I do know that it was one of the most important lessons I had learned that year.
Lesson Number Two: Be controversial when necessary.
My freshman year, I was required to take a class required for all freshman. My professor for this class was a very liberal, blunt man. Our class had open discussion that made us really think about our views on certain subjects such as diversity and civility. He taught me that it is okay to be controversial in order to get others to look at something in a whole new light.
Lesson Number Three: It's okay to have fun and be a little vulgar.
My freshman year, I took Spanish 1101 as a requirement. My professor was spunky and fun and I learned a lot from her. She was so unique in the fact that she normally got us to remember vocab by making us a play a game or telling us a slightly vulgar way to remember it. She taught me how to loosen up and have a little fun and be a little spicy every once and awhile. She made sure I knew that it is okay to not be serious every minute of the day.
Lesson Number Four: Tell corny jokes.
Math class can be hard for a lot of people. I was one of those people. Math really is not my strong subject, so naturally, math professors scare me just as much as fractions. My professor for College Algebra was perfect for me because she taught us math in such a simple way that I actually got a good grade in the class. She also always made corny math jokes that cheered up a few of the students in the class. The most important thing I learned in her class was that telling silly jokes can make anything better.
Lesson Number Five: Listen to your opponent.
One of my absolute favorite classes from my freshman year was my Christian Ethics and Contemporary Social Issues class. I was so apprehensive about the class at first, but after we got into the modern social issues, I was hooked. Before I went into the class, I did not know where I stood on current contemporary issues.
My professor worked hard by helping each student in the class know where they stood, but he also taught them that it's very important to understand both sides. He was so respectful towards his students when they gave their opinion; even if their opinion was ignorant. He taught me that it's important to respect and listen to the person you're talking to, no matter your own personal beliefs and opinions.
Lesson Number Six: Be patient.
One of the toughest professors I have ever had was for a difficult CORE requirement . She was a spitfire who always pushed us to our limits because she honestly believed we were smart enough to handle whatever challenge she threw at us. The class was incredibly difficult for the majority of the students who took it.
There were times where she would lose her patience with us and times that she was completely understanding. From this, I learned that patience truly is a virtue. I learned that I need to be careful how I present my frustration towards others. It was one of the most important things I had learned that year.
Lesson Number Seven: Don't take life so seriously.
I took Graphic Design my freshman year and fell in love with it. My professor was also very wonderful. She made us coffee in the morning since it was an 8:30 class. She always gently told us our work wasn't very good. Most importantly, she had the most intoxicating sense of humor. She really did not take life all so seriously sometimes, and she taught me that that was completely okay.
Lesson Number Eight: Try new things.
For Spanish 1102, I took a student-professor from Mexico. I did not learn a whole lot of Spanish from her, but she did introduce me and my fellow students to a lot of new things. She taught us how to play Mexican bingo and other trivia games. She would bring in Mexican candy and snacks (Mexican Coke is way better than American Coke, by the way). Before I took her class, I was apprehensive about putting myself out there to experience new things. After her pressing me to get out of my comfort zone, I never really leave it.
Lesson Number Nine: Your life is interesting.
One of the most entertaining classes I took my freshman year was Acting 1101. In the class, we learned the process of an actor and put on a show at the end of the class. My professor made us focus on ourselves as the character of our own story. She made us perform short bursts of our lives and made us really focus on the way we felt and process things. Throughout the whole class, she made me really focus on myself and made me realize that my life is interesting and that I have lots of stories to tell.
Lesson Number Ten: Don't take crap from people who have no respect for others.
My school does an Interim term for January where students have the opportunity to take elective "fun classes" or travel abroad. I decided to take a class about apocalypse movies. The professor who taught the class would not be disrespected, and she made that very known. Students would be on their phones and have headphones in during class and she would call them out no matter what. She also would not take any excuses for their bad attitudes and disrespectful behavior. From her I learned that I do not have to take anything from anyone; especially people who have no respect for other people. It was something I really needed at the time.
Looking back on my freshman year, I realized that it was important to check my high-school ego at the door. It was time to say goodbye to the person I was before college and embrace the change I was about to endure. As a freshman, I thought I knew everything. I thought I did not need advice or have my eyes open to new perspectives.
In reality, I did not know what I did not know. As cliche as it sounds, my professors helped me discover who I was and who I wanted to be. I honestly could not thank them enough.
