College. It's finally here. You’ve been looking forward to this ever since senioritis kicked in. You’ve been shopping for comforters and new clothes and school supplies and fridges with your mom. But the day comes when you walk into your new dorm and have to meet the strangers you’ll be living with for the next year, and your excitement starts to wear off. You worry if they like you; if they think your collection of stuffed animals is weird; if they would ever want you in their fraternity; if you’ll have to follow a bunch of ridiculous rules. And most of all, as your parents finish helping you assemble your new room, you feel an overwhelming rush of sadness and fear as you realize that things will never be the same again.
Freshman year is hard. Seriously, seriously hard. Move-in day marks a huge change in your life. You once lived with your family and now you live with hundreds of peers. You once ate home-cooked meals at your dining room table and now eat Sodexo meals in the cafeteria. You once had curfew (well, you probably still have curfew) and a stricter schedule, but now you have to make your own choices to use your time wisely. Freshman year is difficult for many students. Trust me, you're not alone.
Let me tell you about a girl I know who moved into my dorm last year. She was a freshman and for months, she had been looking forward to finally starting her life in college. But when move-in day came around, she began to feel emotional. She didn’t know what was going to happen with her roommate or suitemates or if they would like her. As she talked with her mom the afternoon of move-in day, before her family left, she finally started crying.That girl was me. I was like you last year. I missed home and missed my family. I pined away for the way things used to be. I didn’t always believe that everyone liked me. I struggled with insecurity. I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to be there. But guess what? Those feelings won't last forever. Surviving your freshman year – and not only that, but also thriving in college – is going to require some effort from you, though. You will have to step out of your comfort zone, learn to relate to others, and take control of the little details of your life. By sharing some of my successes and huge mistakes, I can give you some hope for your future at your school and the understanding that you will not always feel this way.
New Roomies
If you find yourself feeling insecure about your roommate situation (does he like me or think I’m weird?) or if your roommate doesn’t respect your privacy, belongings, and choices, remember that it will take both of you time to adjust to sharing space with someone else. In the meantime, try to get to know your roommate. Ask him or her questions. Go grab dinner in the cafeteria together. Watch a movie on the weekends. These can absolutely help your relationship with your roommate, even though they may seem like very small and unimportant things. And if something does go wrong and your situation with your roommate disintegrates, remember that you have an RA to consult. But the bottom line is, your friendship with your roommate and the other freshmen in your hall will take time and work. If you make the effort to be a respectful and kind roommate, you will have a strong foundation for future college relationships and will hopefully find a friend with whom you can share plenty of fun experiences.
Senioritis...it's still there.
Going from high school to college is a big transition in an academic sense too. You just finished with your senior year, which was probably an easy load. You may be worried about class loads, professors, or homework. Before you even walk into a classroom, decide that you are going to put in the effort needed to make a good grade. Take notes, read the syllabus, and answer in-class questions. If a professor is not being fair, always go to his office and try to sort things out. If you are struggling with a certain set of problems or have no clue how to start revising the first draft of your essay, talk with your professor. They really aren't that scary. When I took physics for my required science course, despite having never taken physics before, and I went to my professor’s office more than once during the semester to ask for help with a problem. Believe it or not, it actually helped! Moreover, going to speak with a teacher demonstrates that you care about your grade and your success in the class, which makes a good impression on that professor. Always put in effort and try your hardest to succeed, and if you have professors who care about you, your efforts will be rewarded.
Finding Your Niche
When your roommates are out and you finally have the hall to yourself, it’s incredibly tempting to hide in your bed behind your laptop and lose yourself on Facebook, Pinterest, Youtube, and the worst (best?) of all...Netflix. It’s okay to take some alone time, especially if you’re an introvert and the week has been spent by having to constantly socialize. But eventually, get out and get involved. During freshman year, everything is an awkward, amazing adventure. Do things that you'll remember! Pledge a social club, join a Bible study, go on camping trips with Campus Rec, find an intercultural club.Volunteer, try new restaurants, tutor other students. Chances are, experiences will be what you remember, not the next episode of Grey's Anatomy. You might struggle during pledging, face your fear of jumping off a cliff, or find yourself disagreeing with one of your new friends, but these are the experiences that teach you the most about yourself. I spent a lot of time in my room during freshman year, but I also went out and started regularly attending Dance Fitness classes, pledged a social club, and met a ton of people. My life at Lipscomb is so much better for it. Trust me, it may not seem like it now, but your efforts to meet new people and participate in new activities are going to pay off eventually.
So don’t despair. Not everyone loves college right away. It take time, and it takes a lot of effort. But soon, you'll see growth! You may have left some things behind when you moved into your dorm, you may hate the Caf, and you may not figure out how to navigate Nashville, but college is an incredible adventure and a unique environment in which to grow. Stand tall, meet new people, talk to your professors, use the many resources on campus, and continue on the journey of discovering who you are and where you belong.
