This school year, we are following the experiences of Gadiel Montero, a 2023 Northbrook High School graduate attending Colby College in Waterville, Maine. Here are some reflections and lessons learned from the first semester.
“I thought I would not have time for ‘a life’ when I went to college,” said Gadiel Montero. But with self-discipline to always get schoolwork done and out of the way, he has found time to get involved and have fun during his first semester at Colby College.
Spring semester Montero has carefully selected classes that have start times after 10 a.m., which was a lesson-learned from the first semester when he had a couple of classes that started at 9 a.m. Montero said college is different from high school in that he attends four classes a week, and that leaves a lot of in between time to get homework done, personal care and still have time with friends.
“If you don’t procrastinate, it is manageable,” said Montero. “I haven’t struggled yet, and college is not as hard as people painted it to be.”
New habits
Some of his new habits are to do his laundry and clean his room. Even while home in Houston during winter break, he surprised his mom by continuing to do his own laundry. He also advises other college students to clean their rooms first before doing homework, otherwise schoolwork becomes an excuse to not clean.
Montero admits he did miss his family’s Cuban cuisine and his dog while away at Colby. He found that the food in the university’s three cafeterias is good and convenient. Yes, he has gained a little weight, but not the dreaded ‘freshman 15.’
He walks a lot on campus, which has also helped him recover from a foot injury he sustained last summer. When he started school last fall, he was still using a mobility scooter.
“The injury really humbled me,” he said. “But it built confidence in myself to learn how to do stuff on my own. And it helped me to not gain weight since I had to work harder at getting around.” He also gained a nickname that has stuck: Scooter Guy.
He got a little bit of ‘dog time’ during finals week when the college brought in dogs to help reduce the students’ stress.
Friendships are important
Friendships with a wide variety of people have helped Montero navigate his first semester at Colby College.
Montero shared that he and his dorm roommate get along really well and enjoy “hanging out” together. Other students Montero met during orientation sessions, before the start of the first semester, stay in touch with group chats and frequent get-togethers.
“We get together on the spur-of-the-moment,” said Montero. “I like the independence of being able to get home at whatever time I want.”
He also is involved in several extra-curricular activities such as playing on a volleyball team and becoming the secretary of the Spanish Club. An excursion to an alpaca farm and a going sledding are a couple of other new-to-him experiences Montero had in the fall. Next semester he will become a mentor to an elementary student through the Colby Cares mentoring program.
“Having a mentor in high school was a huge help to me and I wanted to give back,” said Montero. He had a mentor, Julie Moreton, through the Collegiate Challenge program at Northbrook High School. He was also informally mentored throughout his time at the school by his freshman English teacher, Dr. Oprea.
“She pushed me to not settle for less that my best,” said Montero. “Ironically, she was the only teacher to ever give me a B and just by just one point!”
"Jan Plan" off the grid
During January, Colby College offers students the opportunity to take one class in the "Jan Plan" program. Students, including Montero, apply to travel – all expenses paid – to far off places to get out of their comfort zones, learn more about themselves and focus on an area of study. For his "Jan Plan" experience, Montero and nine other students (plus a professor and assistant) are going backpacking in the desert of Mexico for 10 days, without the comforts of the civilized world.
“We will be focusing on leadership and community living,” said Montero. Each day a different student will lead the group on a hike, setting up camp and organizing tasks according to people’s skills.
Try at least one semester
Montero is thoroughly enjoying his first-year college experiences and finds himself missing it while home on winter break. “I have become a completely different person,” he said. “I get better by learning and changing, while not losing myself.”
He recommends all high school graduates try at least one semester of college to expand their horizons, learn independence and grow as adults. Avoiding procrastination and making friends along the way have been key ingredients to success for Gadiel Montero.
His self-discipline and maturity have paid off: when he received his first semester grades during winter break, he was pleased to find he had earned all A’s.
Are you interested in learning more about planning for college and beyond, but don't know where to start? We’ve got you covered! Below are resources that will assist you in starting your own journey: