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From First Year to Final Year: What Changes and What Stays

đź“– Campus Life

⌛ 7min read

đź‘€ 16K


College students through the years

While much evolves between fresher and final year, some values and habits remain constant.

The college experience is never static. From nervous first-year students to confident final-year trainees, the college journey is a rollercoaster of growth and discovery. Every student enters college with expectations, but the journey from first year to final year transforms not only your knowledge but also your mindset, habits, and relationships.

The transition is more than just about academic progress. It’s a period filled with personal growth, newfound independence, and a series of highs and lows that shape your college identity.

Your first year in College is filled with excitement, anxiety, and fresh starts. You’re adjusting to new environments, learning how to survive campus life, and figuring out how to manage allowances. Fast forward to your final year, and you’ve probably become a pro at navigating campus life, meeting deadlines, and preparing for your national service or permanent teaching post.

Let’s walk through the timeline of change and constancy to understand the student experience better.

Year 1: The Fresh Start
In your first year, everything feels new, the environment, the people, and the academic demands. You may feel uncertain or overly enthusiastic. Orientation becomes your roadmap, and you rely on timetables and roommates for support. What stays in your first year is the desire to make a good first impression and the need for guidance stick with you, even as confidence builds.

Year 2: Finding Your Rhythm
By now, you’ve adjusted to the system. You understand how lectures, assignments, and group work function. You’re more selective with friends and better at managing your time. What stays with you here is you still face moments of doubt. Exams, deadlines of assignments, and fear of failure are constant reminders of academic pressure.

Year 3: Becoming a Mentor
As a third-year student, you naturally start guiding others. Juniors seek your advice, and your voice matters in class discussions. Practicum experiences shape your professional outlook. What stays on here is you remain a learner at heart, still discovering new interests and refining your purpose.

Year 4: The Final Lap
This is the year of closure and preparation. You’re more focused, career-driven, and possibly nostalgic. You look back at how far you’ve come, both academically and personally. Despite the experience gained, the need for reassurance and the fear of the unknown future lingering, stays with you.

What Truly Changes?
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  1. Time Management: In Level 100, you might struggle to wake up for 6:30am lectures or submit assignments early. By final year, you’ve developed systems, from Google Calendars to strict routines, to stay on top of your game.
  2. Priorities: In your first year, your focus may be more on socializing, outings, and gaining followers on TikTok. In final year, the conversation shifts to teaching portfolios, GPAs, NSS placements, and career plans.
  3. Confidence: Most freshers feel shy answering questions in class or asking lecturers for help. Final-year students, however, are more vocal, assertive, and ready to lead discussions and groups.
  4. Friendship Dynamics: You may start with many friends and roommates, but along the way, your circle gets smaller. You begin to value meaningful connections over popularity.
  5. Academic Strategy: While first years often cram before exams, final-year students usually rely on continuous assessment and group studies. You learn to study smart, not hard.
Your self-confidence, academic competence, social skills, and worldviews evolve significantly. You learn to prioritize, handle disappointment, and celebrate small wins.

What Never Changes?
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  1. Passion for Teaching: Whether it’s your first Micro Teaching session or your final practicum, the love for shaping young minds continues to burn brightly.
  2. Financial Hustles: The struggle to manage student allowances never seems to change. First years complain about MoMo deductions; final years still find ways to “stretch” their stipends until the next batch drops.
  3. Late Night Learning: Whether it's prepping for quizzes in Level 100 or writing your final-year research project, you'll always find yourself up late with your phone at your favourite learning place.
  4. Campus Food Wahala: Dinning hall offsides, Gari soakings, waakye queues, and bread-and-egg combos remain a constant across all levels. Only difference is, you now know which vendor gives the biggest portion.
The core reason you started, your desire to grow, your dreams, and your hope for a better future, remains your fuel.

The journey from first year to final year is filled with laughter, growth, stress, tears, and a lot of learning, both in and out of the lecture theaters. The students you meet, the challenges you face, and the victories you achieve all shape the teacher you’re becoming.

In the end, the college journey is not just about getting a certificate. It’s about becoming one. From your first year to your final year, every season shapes you. Cherish the changes and hold on to the constants, they’re both part of your story.

So whether you’re just starting your journey or counting down to graduation, remember this: Growth is not always about changing everything. Sometimes, it's about holding onto what matters while letting go of what doesn’t. Keep growing. Keep learning. And keep teaching.

✍️ Boatenberg (Fosco)  

đź“… 2 months, 2 weeks ago

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