College is one of the most pivotal times in our lives. For most of us, it is the first time that we aren’t under the careful watch of our parents and are truly able discover who we really are.
CHANGE: Six letters, one syllable and a whole lot of possibility. It seems as though the past four years have been filled with change and the transition from high school to college was nothing different. We went from walking down the hallways in high school and being able to say almost everyone’s names to starting from scratch with strangers. These changes in lifestyle, familiar faces and setting are bound to impact us in some way, but what we choose to do with this newfound freedom is up to us.
Throughout high school, I was always deemed the “mom” of my respective friend groups. I was perceived to be the responsible one who loved to drive people around in my light blue Honda FIT all around town. I held friend’s hands as they got their blood drawn and managed to survive most of high school without getting into trouble. I took pride in the title of being “mom,” because I was the one who sent texts to my friends before parties letting them know that I was here if they needed me to come rescue them at any time of the night, but was rarely the one attending the parties. My classmates tried their best to find a reason as to why I preferred to spend my Friday nights working or hanging out with my mom or my little brother, but never seemed to fully understand my choices.
Change has always been something that I have been terrified of. I love sticking to a routine and knowing exactly what I’m going to be doing, who I’m doing it with and when I’m doing it. So when August 31, 2015 came around (A.K.A. college move-in day), it's safe to say that I was the most scared I have ever been in my whole life. I knew that I was going to be thrown into something that was very unfamiliar territory for me. I’m happy to say that I haven’t let college change me. I have a very high set of standards for myself and I try my very best to do what I want not what others want me to do. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against my friends who choose to go out and party every weekend, but that just isn’t me.
Has being constantly surrounded by drinking and partying at college been slightly difficult for me? Of course it has. But have I felt like I’m missing out on something by not participating all the time in what everyone else is doing? Not at all. Everyone is different and I have come to accept that. I remember people in high school telling me that the second I got to college I would change into this crazy party girl who goes out every night and is totally different from the person they knew in high school. So when I got to college, I felt as though I had a choice to make. Did I want to continue to be the girl who stayed true to herself and always followed her gut instinct or did I want to change into someone that I wasn’t?
I’m happy with the choice that I have made in not letting the pressures from those around me affect me. When the time comes, I may be ready to plunge into the world of nightlife, but for now I’ll just stick to what I want to do: being a good friend and embracing all of the great new changes that come with being a college freshman.
