My first semester of college was alright. It wasn’t great. It wasn’t the “oh my gosh, I freaking love college” moment that I heard about in the movies. I didn’t have that great of a time, at least not compared to the people that were surrounding me. I didn’t really know my place, and I was overwhelmed. It wasn’t that I was homesick, though I did miss home. It was a little different. I felt kind of lost, sort of out of place. It wasn’t high school. The familiarity was no longer there.
There were days that I called my best friend and just ranted about how hard college was for me. I didn’t want to do it anymore, and I wasn’t quite sure how. The weight of college just seemed to weigh down on my shoulders, and I felt as though I were going to collapse at any given moment. But, it was through those hardships that I learned some very important lessons that I will be able to carry on through my next semester.
It’s okay not to have your entire life figured out. I know that we have all heard these words dozens of times, but I think that it’s something that we often forget to remind ourselves. Life has a mind of its own. We can plan as much as we want to, but ultimately it will have its way with us. We can’t paint our perfect picture because we aren’t meant to. The picture is supposed to be messy with a lot of different colors. It’s supposed to have lines, circles, squares, and zig zags. It’s crazy, but somehow, in the end, it ends up truly beautiful. We have to take it step by step, and everything will eventually turn out okay.
Not everyone from your past is meant to continue on to your future. In high school, I had, what someone may call “a lot of friends,” but not all of those friends continued on my journey with me to college. Going to a college that is miles away from my other friends showed me that friendship is not a matter of distance. It’s a matter of effort. Some people from high school didn’t seem to make the effort to cover the distances between us, and that’s okay because I’m sure that they are off doing wonderful things. However, it showed me that there are true friendships that cover the distance, and those are the ones that should have your time and effort. They reach across the miles, and although it’s hard because you wish they were right by your side like old times, you know that they are still there for you whenever you need it.
Sleep, oh sleep. I really need you. I know that it sounds fun… staying up late with friends and not sleeping. And, I mean, yes, spending time with friends is fun. But, there is nothing fun about waking up late for your 9:30 class because you were so tired that you slept through your alarm. And, the next thing you know, you find yourself sprinting across the forty acres. Sleep is so important, and that’s something I didn’t realize sooner during my first semester. Of course, I always tell myself that I am going to sleep earlier, but I never seem to follow through. But, this semester I have made myself the promise to follow through. I will.
Classes aren’t always ideal. I’d say that they really get in the way of the whole “college thing.” But, I understand that they are there, and we must go. My first semester classes were not the best. I find nothing entertaining about reading 20-page articles. But, give me formulas and numbers, and I can be at ease. However, I realized that no matter how much I don’t enjoy a class, I need to be there, AND I need to be present. Luckily, my second-semester courses are more to my liking, but I still need to be just as engaged. Classes may be boring, but they do teach us important things like time management and responsibility skills.
Enjoy the time you have because it will pass. It will pass very fast. First, it was August, and I was moving into my dorm. But, the next thing I knew I was already studying for my final tests and getting ready to pack up for the break. At some point, I had to take the time to stop and enjoy the moments that were happening around me, with the wonderful people that I had surrounding me as well. I didn't do that as often because I was so preoccupied with what was going to come next. I don't want to look back on my years at college and realize that I could have done so much more than what I did. Of course, it's important to study, that's the reason that you are at the university that you are at, but someone once told me that you cannot burn yourself out too fast. If you do that when you're in college then you'll have nothing else to give, nowhere else to go, when you are done with these four years. It's all about finding your balance and doing whatever you need to do to be successful.
I will probably make a few mistakes my second semester (hopefully not too many and not too bad), but I honestly believe that college is a time to learn from them and fix them. So…The University of Texas at Austin, you kicked my butt first semester. Now, watch me kick yours.
