I know what you're thinking: here we go again. Another article on adjustment to college life. But hey - can you blame me? I've been here for a month, and have learned so much already.
One of the most important things I've learned thus far is that not everything is going to be under my control. College is overwhelming, to say the very least. There are going to be a million things thrown at me, and I won't always have a handle on it all. Other times, I may think I have a handle on everything when I don't.
There are a ton of other people here in the same boat - we all just have to stay on track, and everything will turn out the way it's meant to...
...which brings me to my next point. I've learned that there are a lot of things that will go the way I'd hoped they would. There will also be things that don't. The key to maintaining a positive attitude at these points in the game is to remember everything that is going well, rather than harping on what's not. Pessimism will only make things worse.
I've also learned that it's okay to not be okay at times. It's okay to be sad and to miss people I care about. It's okay to let that out every now and then... it's actually good for you to do so. Everyone gets sad, and even a little homesick, no matter how fun the "college experience" is. And that's fine. If you're sad, it doesn't mean you hate college.
This is when a support system on campus is vital. It's at those times that I realize just how incredible the people around me are. I've had friends stay up late with me while I write papers, and checked in if they saw that I was stressed earlier in the day. I've stayed up with my friends to make sure they were okay as well.
I've surrounded myself with such amazing and genuinely kind people, and I'm so happy that we've all been there for each other.
I've learned to live a little. Don't worry - I don't mean completely abandoning all responsibilities and just sitting around... but I used to worry about anything and everything, and I'm starting to adjust to the "take things as they come" mentality that seems to be floating around. Take some time to take care of yourself; whatever's worrying you will only get worse if you obsess over it.
Take a break, listen to some music, call your family, and/or talk to some friends. We're all in this together.