As the summer officially ends with this passing Labor Day Weekend, it's time for all of us college students to move back and prepare for classes. Some may dread this, but for many, college is better than the summer itself.
Yes, the summer is filled with vacations, fun, and the beach, but there is no better feeling than moving back to campus and seeing all of your friends that you haven't seen in about three months.
College is a place where people grow up exponentially. You have to learn to live on your own with no parents to help guide you through the day. This means there is no one looking over your shoulder to make sure your work gets done, let alone eat. That may sound stressful to some, but the positives definitely outlay the negatives of adjusting to the college life.
For starters, as mentioned before, you get to see all your friends that you met freshman year. As a junior, wow I'm starting to get old, the friends that I met the first few weeks freshman year have turned into some of my best, closest friends that I have. Sadly, I don't get to see them often, if at all, during the summer, so the reunion is always a blast.
For those of you reeding that are just entering freshman year now, go out and meet people on your floor and in your building! That is some of my best advice because I still hang out with those ten or so people from my freshman hallway all the time! They will stick with you throughout your four year stint at college and I promise that you will have the best times of your life with these people and make memories that will last forever.
The next best part is obviously going out with said friends week in and week out. I know the party scene isn't for everyone, but that doesn't mean that you can't go out and enjoy yourself. Whether it be a house party, bar, or even just going to the movies, get out there and do something! College is what you make of it so don't just sit around and do nothing! I promise that you will regret that as soon as you leave college and realize that you missed out on what could have been the best years of your life. There is always something to do and people who are similar to you at college. Do what makes you happy and find people likeminded and have a blast!
To go along with the "college is what you make it," that goes for school as well. Classes are just as important as going clubs and getting involved on campus. Get out there and try something outside of your comfort zone. I missed out on this for the better part of my first two years at school. However, I did start joining some clubs near the end of last year, and now with The Odyssey, I have plenty of activities to keep my hands full when I am not in class. Go out and get it. These are amazing things to put on your resume and will bump you above the average joe that will be applying for the same job as you in the future.
Just get out there and do you. Have fun now that everyone is back at school and live it up. You only get to do this once so make it count. Make those new friends. Make yourself hang out and explore. Make yourself push past what you know and try new things. Make yourself join a club and find a new passion. Make college everything you want it to be, because in the end, you're the only one who dictates whether or not you have a good college experience.
