As the summer comes to an end and the fall begins to roll in, schools once again begin session. For some, this means simply returning to the same halls they have walked for the past one, or two, or three years, to once again see the same friends with the same teachers, in the same city. But for others, this means the beginning of a new era; the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. For some, this means the first day of college.
As August ends and September begins, campuses all across the world are flooded with thousands of freshmen students beginning the next stage of their lives. Some of you will stay within the same city, or county, or state that you grew up in, and some of you will wander across borders to reach your new home. Some of you will travel short distances, and some of you will spend hours, or even days in the car getting to your new life awaiting you. A lot of you will feel anxiety, and a lot of you will feel fear. Anticipation will fill you with excitement each day, and the uncertainty of the unknown will be fresh on your minds each morning.
For some of you, college is an exciting time. For others, it is a fearful time, and for others, it is simply another small step toward something greater. And while the definition of college changes for each and every person who attends, the one thing that college is for everyone who shows up, is a world of opportunity.
As you step onto your college campus, you will ultimately begin to define who you want to become for the rest of your lives. You will meet new friends, engage in new activities, and develop an identity for yourself that is entirely fresh and new. You will meet people that you will come to call friends until the day you die, and you will meet others that you can only describe through the word family.
You will stay up late, and wake up early; you will experience success, and also failure. You will work hard for something you care for deeply, and you will passionately pursue things you never thought you would.
You will join clubs, and build community, and you will take risks you never imagined you would be capable of. You will chase and you will pursue what truly satisfies you, and you will make your mark wherever you go.
In college you will begin the journey of discovering who you really are; who you have always been. You will find your passions, and understand your desires. You will redefine your dreams, and truly define yourself. You will stand up for what you believe in, and your thoughts on everything from politics to philosophy to religion will become your own; not your parents'. For the first time, you will truly become you. And that is such a wonderful thing.
And as I write this article, I want to offer a piece of advice to you college freshmen. Because I bet that right now, you are sitting in your dorm room, or in your house, or in your apartment amidst a knowledge of the unknown and the fear that comes with it, and you are unsure of what to do. I imagine that a lot of you are sitting in the unknown of a new chapter unsure of where to go, or what to do, or what to say. You are fearful, but also excited. Hopeful, but also nervous. And you don't know where to start your college career.
Because before you came to college, you got all the advice in the world about where to go, and what to do, and how to "succeed" in your college career. You got life advice and school advice, and advice on how to manage a social life among the weight of school and work. You were told who you should look for when you get to school, and the clubs you should hang out with. You were told where to go, and what to do, and how to do it. But now that you're here, you don't know where to start.
You don't know if you should join this club, or that one, or if you should hang out with those people, or these. You don't know if your major is the one you actually want, and you don't know if you can do the whole cool-college-kid routine.
Maybe some of you have a four year plan, or a five year plan, and you are realizing that the first day of college is not as detailed out in your schedule as you thought. Maybe you're unsure if you even want to follow that plan anymore. I mean, come on, a lot has changed since last fall, right? And a lot of you are worried, because you are unsure of which opportunities to take. You don't know which clubs to visit, or which friends to spend time with. You don't know if you should stay out late, or go to this activity. You are unsure of where to go, and what to do, and if you should do it at all.
And I am here to tell you, that you should.
College is a time of endless opportunity. It is a time to discover who you are and what you truly care about. It is a time to focus on the things that you love. College is a time to define yourself and unveil your passions, and experience life like you never have before.
College is a time to experience community unlike you ever have before, and to become so close to those around you that you begin to find it hard to imagine life without them.
College is a time to love and explore, adventure and experience. College is a time to discover the unknown that has always waited on the other side of the door. And that time is now.
So I encourage you to take on every opportunity that comes your way. Use your discretion and chose wisely what you will go on to commit to, but in the beginning be open to everything.
Hang out with those around you, and accept every offer of community presented you. Chase hard after friends, and run fast into commitment. Be open to new experiences, and be optimistic about the world around you.
Don't be afraid of the uncomfortable, and lean hard into the new. Experience the new world that you have only heard rumors of, and make your name known in a sea of identity.
Be open to the opportunities presented you in this first year of college, because those will come to define the person you want to be. Try things on and see how they fit, and in those experiences, you will truly discover who it is you want to be.
