6th November 2015. Exactly one year ago, I remember sitting in the library, headphones on and filling in my UC application. I was wondering, “What will college be like? What will my new friends be like?” But most importantly, who will I be as a person? It feels surreal to imagine time having gone by so fast as I vividly remember sitting in school and brainstorming for essay ideas while the clouds slowly covered the sun, telling me that a storm was imminent. My countdown to the four most exciting years of adult life began that afternoon. Fast forward one year and it is hard to believe that we have finished 6 weeks of college!

The first few weeks of college have been a myriad of emotions and different experiences. Being an international student, it was a bit of a culture shock to experience so many changes together but nonetheless, these past six weeks have taught me some valuable lessons that I hope many of us can relate to.

• Making new friends- Coming to university is like starting the first chapter of a novel. There are different characters with different backstories and similarly, the first 6 weeks of college have introduced me to some wonderful and awesome people. Making friends in university is challenging but I feel like the friends we make in college could be friends we have for a lifetime. Is this an overused term? Yes, it is but when you start college, it is a fresh start for you and everyone else, akin to a blank canvas waiting to be colored.
• Being more open and communicating with others- The first couple of weeks in college were a considerable change from where I am from as here, people make an initiative to talk to you and ask you how is everything going. Whether it is your suitemates, a person from your math class or a guy you met in line while getting tacos, it was a welcome change to see how friendly people are here. Being in such an open and expressive environment can work wonders and I can already see myself striking up conversations with people and being able to communicate with other with ease I would not have imagined.
• Taking responsibility for everything- It would be an understatement to say that this is a rather clichéd aspect of university life but in all honestly, the past six weeks have taught me how to take responsibility for everything. Be it going to see a professor for a bad grade, deciding on courses or getting weekly chores done, everything is your responsibility. University is a great place to discover new aspect about oneself and knowing that the onus of making the most of all the opportunities provided is on you is quite a strong stimulus to buckle up and take charge.
• Learning how to be alone sometimes- University is nothing like high school. There may not be a party every weekend and sometimes, you may just not end up going off campus. I am a person who hated being alone but after the past six weeks, I have come to realize that it is ok to be alone sometimes. Being alone sometimes is the best way to re-connect with yourself and more so, you gain a sense of independence. However, learning to be alone sometimes is not the same as being anti-social. Being anti-social is not wanting the company of others which is something I absolutely cannot fathom.
• Being closer to family and friends- The initial separation from home is rough for a lot of freshmen, myself included. However, these six weeks have taught me that it is often the fear of separation that makes leaving home that much more difficult than it is. It has been almost 2 months since some of us have met mom and dad or your siblings but do you feel you have gotten closer to them? College has taught me one important lesson in the past six weeks that distances do not matter. Even if your best friend lives 15 hours away from you, you will remain best friends.

Just before high school ended, one of my teachers told me that college is the best time for self-discovery and to get to know yourself as a person. Even though it has just been six weeks of our first quarter, I think many of us would have discovered something new about ourselves. Leave a comment below and tell us about something new you have discovered about yourself to start a conversation.

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