Dear Class of 2021,
There are many different solutions for successfully navigating the many challenges that all new students experience in their first semester of their college life. Some people work differently than others and some may struggle in more areas than others or even thrive in certain parts as well, but every new college student faces some type of struggle at one point in their freshman year. What’s most important is that you realize it’s okay to struggle, be confused, ask questions, feel uncomfortable, etc. It is a matter of how you get through those hard times that will help shape your college career and make you into the person you are supposed to become. Not only is college giving us an education to use in our future plans, but essentially, it is about growing, making mistakes, experiencing what life has to offer, forming relationships and finding ourselves through it all.
In some aspect, college can be very different than high school, at least it is for me. I went to a small high school and grew up with the same kids since I was three years old, so everyone was very close even when we graduated. For me, the transition from high school to college was very different than most of the kids I went to high school with because most of them stayed in state, which meant they were going to schools with all the same people they knew in high school. However, I came all the way to Florida 1,400 miles away from anyone I knew. So if you are like me and coming from out of state, I commend you because we are the brave ones. It takes independence to be able to leave home, let alone leave a home so far away. For me, I did not mind the distance because I was okay with making new friends and having different experiences than just repeating high school in a college atmosphere like most of my friends were doing. With this being said, college is what you make it to be. Even if your home town is only 20 or 30 minutes up the coast of Florida, you can make home as far as you want it to be. So, if you want a new experience even staying in state, you have the opportunity to be whatever version of yourself you want to be, no matter where home is. College is only different from high school if you want it to be different. Above all, college does bring more responsibility than high school because you no longer have your family and parents to constantly tell you what to do, where to be, how to act, and what is right from wrong, so it is essential that you start taking more responsibility once you get into college.
It is impossible to go through college without having ups and downs and it’s even more impossible for those ups and downs to not be a part of your first semester. It is completely normal to feel like the world is on your shoulders during times of college, but you should know that even though it may feel like it at times, you are not alone. I personally had an amazing first semester, but I would be lying if I said I did not go a week without being unhappy or unsure if I was where I was supposed to me. About every question about yourself, your friends, your school, your beliefs, your relationships, your money, and your future will all be doubted at some point in college. My advice to you is through it all, never lose yourself in anyone or anything. Nothing is more powerful than the mind and college has the ability to knock you off track and make you question why you were on that track to begin with. It is okay to go through this, but what is most important is how you come out of it. Do not be pressured to conform to those around you. Do not be something you are not just to fit in. Do not put yourself in a positon where you no longer know what your morals and values are. Be the best version of yourself. Be the kind of person that learns from their mistakes instead of dwelling on them. Be comfortable being uncomfortable because college can be just as awkward as middle school. People are learning about themselves, where they fit in and what they want to be in life, so open yourself up to try new things and meet new people. That is what college is for! You cannot come into college afraid of your freedoms. Instead, constantly keep an open mind and anytime you feel overwhelmed with all the things you have going on, take a moment to breathe and tell yourself you can do it and you will do it.
