Being three weeks into my second semester of freshman year in college, I’ve realized some things about my first few months here at school. One word to sum up them up: lonely. Unlike the movies and shows on television, you don’t find your BFFs the first day of class.
If you’re like me, you won’t find them even after the first semester. I can say that my lack of friends is my fault; I didn’t exactly try as hard as I should’ve. For a while though, I thought that was okay. I knew I wasn’t going to make friends instantly, but living in a quad, I figured I had three friends to start out with.
School continued and my course load dwindled my hopes of being social. The homework consumed me - and I was so used to the pressure I constantly put on myself in high school, I did the same here at college. But it was okay, I still had my roommates to cheer me up.
Then things changed and the suite never really went back to how it once was. I was then very, very alone. You think (and hope) you’re going to get along with your freshman year roommates, but that’s not always the case.
Up until that point, I had been learning some valuable life lessons. So I kept powering through, hoping to gain more insight on these lessons. I held my head up high and focused all my energy on schoolwork (looking back, I probably should’ve used this time to make friends, but hindsight is 20/20). I came out on the other side of first semester O.K.
Yes, there were times where I called my mom crying because I felt so alone. But towards the end, I pushed that loneliness aside and told myself to buck up, that I could handle what was being thrown at me. I thought if I could take those feelings and improve myself, I'd become better as a person. So I did.
First semester can be lonely. For some, it might only be that way for a few days or weeks, but for others (ahem… me), the loneliness stays with you all semester. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t hard, but I survived. I have a whole new perspective on my second semester and I feel more confident in myself.
So if you find yourself in a position like mine, don't think poorly of yourself; not everyone can make friends in a snap. Talk to your friends from your hometown and see how their college experience is going. Write letters to one another (getting mail is actually really exciting in college), and call or FaceTime your best friend. Any type of communication can feel great when you think you’re all alone.
Being away at college may make you feel like you’re always going to be by yourself, but you aren’t. Plan out your life, or think of the person you want to become. Don’t let the negative opinions of people who barely know you become reality. Defy them, and create the person you have always wanted to be. Doing this will make you a better person, or in my case, the better person.
