People always say, “college is a lot of hard work, but it’s so much fun.” And boy, were they right. College is an entire learning experience that goes far beyond the range of academics. Even as a freshman, I have learned more about myself in the few short months of my fall semester than I ever have before. I studied more than I ever have in my entire schooling career, while still having the time of my life.
For many, one of the scariest aspects of becoming a college student is the living situation that comes with it. I know a lot of people who have had major roommate issues but personally, my roommates have been the biggest part of my experience. If it wasn’t for my roommates, my semester would have looked completely different and possibly unmatched. They are some of the greatest friends I have ever met and I realized that having roommates can be one of the best parts of the college experience, if you let it.
Living more independently, you have a lot more responsibilities. When you have to rely on yourself to take care of basic chores and tasks, you tend to learn a lot about yourself and what works for you. I learned that I’m a lot more organized than I thought I was. I developed actual study habits and personal academic tendencies. Turns out that “adulting” is at least a little bit do-able. If you ask any other freshman if they became more responsible after their first semester, they would probably admit that they at least procrastinate a little bit less than they did in high school.
Finally, I’ve realized that the “college experience” is different for everybody, and there isn’t really a wrong way to do it (unless you aren’t doing your schoolwork at all, then that might become an issue). College became a new and exciting adventure that I dove into headfirst. I learned that it is completely possible to remain true to yourself while also learning about who you are along the way. The saying, “work hard, play hard” reigns true. As long as I tried my best, I could never completely fail. As long as I took care of my responsibilities, the rest was nothing but a blast. I’m grateful that my university experience has been so positive, and I’m excited for the next four years.
