All your life you are told how wonderful college will be and just how important and crucial it is to your future. Your head is filled with the endless possibilities of all that you can do and become. However, at some point along the way they left out some very important details that pretty much hit you like a train your freshman year.
1. You have to find yourself.
All throughout your K-12 days, you are undoubtedly in control of yourself, and you have all the time in the world to be just who you want to be. If you came from a small town like me, your peers and community pretty much define you as a person. Well, that all changes when you get to college.
It's a chance to break old ties and re-invent yourself. Which all of this sounds good... until it actually happens. You end up starting over in a new pool of friends, sitting next to strangers in every class, and you begin to feel pretty insignificant. With fear in your heart and a sense of being lonely, depression seeps its way in. When this happens, you have to fight back the tears and you have to 'Let go and let God.' As my mother used to tell me, it will get worse before it gets better. So hang in there and know when it's over, you are going to be exactly who you need to be.
2. The urgency to pick a major.
We all know the issue of picking a major. It seems to be a pretty self-explanatory decision everyone has to make. Well, let me tell you that is by far one of the biggest far-fetched lies I have ever heard. The issue with picking a major is that basically, you are picking an interest that will dictate the rest of your life/career. No big deal right? A few months ago I went from having to raise my hand in order to have permission to go to the restroom, to having to pick my career possibilities in one decision.
Undoubtedly, you will know a few people who seemed to have popped out of the womb knowing exactly what they want to be or do and have never wavered in that belief... don't be jealous, these people are freaks of nature. Here's advice, take a breath. Chances are that whatever field you choose to major in, 9/10 you won't end up in that field. God has a funny way of twisting life around and eventually placing you right where you belong. So hold tight, keep a clear mind, and look to the future.
3. You are highly impressionable.
Among all of these seemingly daunting things comes about a really positive aspect, and that is the ability to be well informed and think on your own two feet. Growing up, our values and morals generally tended to reflect that of our parents and the community around us. When you move off to college, however, you are engulfed in thousands of different perspectives and views. People from all walks of life come together and share conversations, and within these conversations, new realizations are molded and your knowledge grows. No longer will you have the same thoughts or values, you will have gained bits and pieces of information from your peers and in the end, you will have better educated yourself. To me, that knowledge is priceless.
In closing, college is a place filled with stress, big decisions, and the duty of finding oneself. When you look beyond that, however, the experience itself is a pivotal one. Not only do you grow as a person, you help others around you prosper as well. So, hang in there, hold on tight, and remember you will end up exactly where you need to be.
