This is a response to ‘How My Feelings And Thoughts About High School Changed As A College Student.’

I agree with the Odyssey writer’s article regarding the shift of feelings concerning high school upon entering college but I would also like to say that the freeing experience that many associate with college is not freeing in its entirety for many.

During high school, you often hear that college will be the best four years of your life and be so much better than high school. For many, college is so much more than high school in terms of independence, social aspects, and ability to express themselves. For others though, college is lonely and no new experience seems to resemble the best four years.

Loneliness is a universal human experience. To be lonely is to long for others. College is good in that respect because people have to learn to be okay with being alone but for those who seem to never escape this loneliness, try some things listed below.

• During the first week, meet as many people as possible and really put yourself out there
• Join as many clubs as you can, or atleast go to as many interest meetings as possible (social/professional clubs are all good in that respect)
• Hold conversation with people that approach you
• Get a job and meet people there

While these are just a few things to do and you may succeed in belonging in college by doing them, college does not have to be better than high school, or the best four years of your life. It's important to have fun and put yourself out there but if you find that college is not everything that you imagined, know that college is really only four years of your life, you have so many more years to make memories.