When they tell you college goes by way faster than high school ever did, believe them. I was always one of those kids that never thought time could go any faster. Yet, here I am about a month away from completing my freshman year. It seemed like I packed eight months of memories into two short weeks.
Being a freshman really takes you on a whirlwind. There is so much going on when you first get here and it is so hard to keep up with it all. There is the huge factor of whether or not to go Greek, and obviously here at The Odyssey , we highly recommend it. Being Greek helps you to get you involved in so many different activities that you would have never been a part of otherwise. For example, going to different philanthropies, getting involved in clubs and intramurals, as well as making new connections. It's always good to make new connections because out there in the real world, it is all about who you know (something the old man always told me).
Then, of course there is the factor of living on your own. Most of the time it seems to go like this: you abuse your freedom without parents, you make some sort of dumb mistake (whether it be lacking in school or overindulging in social life), then you might break down and question your responsibility and weather or not you were ready to be away at college. Trust me, it gets easier. Slowly but surely, everyone develops their own pattern. You begin to find your own system of studying and what places you can get the most work done.
Going from a senior in high school to a freshman in college is one of the hardest transitions you will have to make. The workload is about ten times heavier and the exams are ten times harder. You develop a somewhat productive workout schedule, and after a week at the dining courts, your eating habits will get better too. Speaking from experience, freshman tend to get a little over-excited when eating at the Purdue dining courts for the first time. No worries, you get sick of that real quick.
The last major transition is the social life. One of the biggest differences from high school to college when it comes to social life is definitely Thursdays. Nobody really knows why it is that way, it just is. Another big factor of change is the amount of new friends you make. No, it does not mean you have to leave your high school friends behind. It just means you are expanding your range and meeting people from all over the country. You are bound to make at least a few new friends when being on a campus with 30,000 other students. Overall, enjoy being away at school. A senior once told me “Don't blink because when you do, you'll be wearing a cap and gown."
