As my first year of college comes to a close, I find it hard to believe that eight months ago I embarked on one of the most difficult but rewarding journeys I have experienced thus far in life. I have learned so many things about life, the place that I live, and myself. This past year has been so fun, so difficult, and everything else in between.
1. Friends will come with time.
This is the advice that my mom gave me repeatedly through conversations over the phone. "You're going to make the friends of your life at college," people kept telling me the summer before I left.
Though they were right, I was expecting these friendships to be solidified within the first couple of weeks of my college career. Well, that's not how it works. It's a process that takes time, and I definitely learned that this year.
2. Things change when you go home.
Friends change, your hometown changes, and ultimately, you change. Though this is difficult at first, you get used to it. You adapt. When I first realized this phenomenon happening in my life, I realized that life changes whether we notice it changing or not. When I was in high school, my life changed so drastically within those four years, but I never realized it. The only difference between then and now is that now I am observing the change in my life with open eyes.
3. Once you get through the first couple of weeks, you can do anything.
The first couple of weeks are the worst. You don’t know anyone, you’re trying to navigate your classes, you have to take care of yourself (i.e. do your own laundry and dishes) and on top of it all, you miss your family more than you ever have before (and not just because your mom would do your laundry for you, though you do desperately miss those days).
However, once you conquer the first semester of your college career, you are equipped to take on life. I definitely feel as if I have been prepared for various social situations because of those first few weeks of orientation that we were thrown into. Furthermore, I know how to do laundry now, which in my opinion, is a very adulty thing to be able to do.
4. This isn’t high school.
First, the academic expectations are so much more than you could ever expect them to be in high school. You missed the deadline for your five-page research paper, you don’t get an extension. That's just how it is. Granted, not all professors are like this, but you better expect to have some who are.
Second, this is your college career, and you can make what you want to make out of it. You can be friends with whoever you want to be friends with, you can skip class and watch Netflix all day if you want to (though I don't recommend). The world is your oyster. Now that you don't live under the same roof as your parents, you can make your own decisions. You are in charge of yourself and your own well-being.
5. It’s okay if you didn’t get the grade you wanted.
B’s get degrees, after all. Even though you had that 3.957 in high school, don’t expect to get that in college while simultaneously having a social life and getting enough sleep. College is all about the experience, not just the grades (though good ones are welcomed). Plus, college classes are a lot more challenging than high school (reference previous point). Cut yourself some slack every once in a while. The best is all you can do.
6. College is a time of growth.
I struggled with the transition to college; I'm not going to deny that. It was hard. It was scary. I was insecure. I wouldn't change anything about it though. Coming to college was a time of growth, and even now I am still growing. I have learned so much about myself that I would go through it all again to know what I know today.
All in all, college is the best time of your life. People used to tell me this before I really understood what they meant. Now I do. Here I am, about to finish my first year of college, and I couldn't be more excited to start it all again in the fall.
