As your last few months of high school come to an end, your nerves about leaving for college start to build. Your last summer with you best friends as you all head in different directions for nine months is about to approach you. Some of you may feel sad, happy, excited, overwhelmed or relieved that you made it this far. Or you are like me and have these emotions mixed together and you change your mind every day. Your summer before college is going to be a fun one, but it will go fast. You will soon be starting a new journey in a whole new environment. My first year in college has taught me more than I ever expected.
The first thing I learned in college was how much I appreciated my parents. They’re always there when I needed them regardless of the circumstance. You will get so busy the first few months that you really learn to appreciate the short phone calls to home. You realize how much they really do for you once you are completely independent. There is no one there telling you what to do, and as odd as it sounds, you may miss it.
My first year of college has taught me a strong work ethic. I knew that the classes would be harder than high school but I was really unsure of how much work I would get. I believe that you get out what you put in. If you are going to study hard for classes and get help when you need it, you should be just fine for school. You need a strong work ethic to succeed. As tempting as it is to skip class, you always want to go because you’ll pick up a thing or two regardless of how boring your lecture is.
You will find great friendships. In high school I had a really good group of friends. We all went off to different colleges, but I still keep in touch with all of them. If you’re like me, you may be worried that you might not meet a group of people that are like your friends from high school. You need to realize that everyone college freshman is going through the same thing you are. You will without a doubt meet friends at college, whether it is in a class, the dining center, your dorm, your random roommate, a club you joined or even walking to a class. It will happen. You will not lose your friendships from high school. You’ll still get together over breaks and all share stories about the people you met and the crazy things that happened to you one weekend.
College is a completely new experience. Your first year can be like a roller coaster. One moment it is great and the next you want to pack up and go home. But any emotion that you are feeling just remember that it will be OK. The most important thing my first year at college has taught me that everything will work out. If you fail a test, there will be another. If you miss home, go home for a weekend. If you miss your friend from high school, give them a call. Just remember that everything happens for a reason. College is going to be the best years of your life and cherish every moment.
