College, the 4 years after high school that are supposed to be the best of your life. Dorm life, parties, sororities and fraternities, majors and minors & being away from your parents. I have always been an independent girl, a social butterfly and an outgoing person. I recharge by being with people, have many different pockets of friends, I would like to think I can do everything alone and I have never been homesick. After 4 years of high school, college was the obvious option for me. Now its my freshman year at Miami University and I honestly couldn't be happier, I have literally never made a better decision than coming here. The beautiful red brick buildings popping up in the middle of corn fields, the traditional college campus vibe and the most quintessential college town. I love it here. This is absolutely where I am supposed to be, but that feeling doesn't come without doubt and bumps in the road.
In high school I was extremely involved: editor in chief of the yearbook, class council member, Red Cross president and much more. Naturally I wanted to have that much of an impact at my new home. Turns out, it's not as easy as it sounds. I have joined clubs and applied for positions and such, but as a first year it almost seems impossible to get what I want. We all know the quote "there are many fish in the sea", well there are, and this is showcased on a college campus. There will always be one person with a little more experience than you, especially as a freshman. I really struggled with this the first few months of freshman year and honestly, I still haven't figured it out. So, grow your social base, make connections and stay true to yourself. Opportunities won't come as easily to you in college, but that's okay it's a learning experience.
Yet another thing I am in the process of learning is knowing it's okay to say no. School always comes first, I mean we all come to college to obtain higher education. But college is also about becoming who you really are, and part of that is going out and meeting new people. Whether you are going to a party, uptown/downtown for the night, just hanging out in a friend's dorm or even a club event. First know what your body can handle, the freshman flu is real… and its miserable. Sometimes you might need a night in alone watching Netflix or scrolling through Pinterest for hours on end and guess what that's okay. Second, know what your GPA can handle, you don't need to go out every night. Everyone loves a good thirsty Thursday, Friday night and beat the clock but well, your grades might not love that. School is of upmost importance, so yes its perfectly okay to say no. Yeah, you'll probably have some fomo but trust me it will be worth it when you get that grade back. There will always be another fun night or day when you don't have a paper due or test the next day.
Like I said earlier I have always been a social gal. I was the only person from my year to go to Miami University. I walked on campus knowing basically nobody but my roommate who I met through Facebook so "know" might be a strong term and a few people from orientation. I knew that this was going to be the case when deciding to go to Miami and I was excited about it, a fresh start. I love and miss all my high school friends but now 5 months into college I am extremely happy with all my new friends. Making friends in college is easy, everyone wants new people to have deep talks with, people to go out with and people to study with. I learned that you just have to work for it though. Dive into new things, join a random club, actually talk to the person you sit next to in that big lecture class.
College is whack, let me tell you. This place is amazing but maybe its not for everyone. Absolutely stay true to who you are, work hard and try new things. You might meet your soulmate, your best friends, your mentor. Don't rush anything, let yourself go with the flow. Let yourself become who you are supposed to be despite that mistake you made on that one Wednesday out, that bad grade you got or the disagreement with your roommate. I'm only a freshman and I can tell this is the time of my life, don't let anything ruin that.
