As my first semester of college is drawing to a close, I feel like I need to put a PSA out there for all of the outgoing high school seniors in regards to college: the transition doesn't need to be all unicorns and rainbows.
I went in to college with a naive mindset. I never thought about the fact that I would be thrown into hoards of strangers and expected to make friends within these groups. I never anticipated classes of 80 with assigned seats and forced friendships. Lectures of 300 people with such close quarters that the girl's hair next to you is on your tiny excuse for a desk. Cafeterias with 11:30 lunch lines through the dorm lobby and out the door. Sorority recruitment having to explain your open major and the fact that you're a weirdo with a single dorm. Not having the security blanket of your friends surrounding you and being lost in a sea of people. Missing your family more than you ever could have imagined. Finally realizing that you're not in high school anymore, and it's okay to not know who you are.
There are so many things thrown at you in your earliest time at your school, it's easy to be overwhelmed. In my first few weeks, never did I expect to be in tears over which sorority I should choose, the fact that my family was 30 minutes away, or that I hadn't made any friends yet. Those things were never covered in my 'welcome to school' packet. It seemed as if everyone I knew was living like a character in Gossip Girl while I was living under my own personal raincloud.
However, as I was watching GG today I came across an episode where Blair is talking about her transition to NYU and the episode really stuck with me. If THE Blair Waldorf has trouble transitioning to her school, than it's not the end of the world. Yes, making friends has been hard but they will come with time. Yes, classes are hard but I'll find out how to manage them the more I take. Yes, being in a sorority is awkward at first but after I bond with the people more it'll be fun. And yes, it's not high school anymore and I need to find myself, but as I keep moving on, I think it'll come to me.
I'm in no way trying to make college sound scary or make you feel unprepared, but if it happens that it looks like everyone else is having the time of their life while you're wishing you had your old one back, that's okay. The transition isn't the same for everybody. Try to find a club, or a hobby, or at least one other person who shares interests for you to bond with. It only takes a little for you to get a lot in return. Things will get better as time goes on and your find yourself taking classes or bonding with people who want the same things in life as you. And if Queen B can conquer NYU, than you can conquer your school too.
