It's hard to believe that my first year of college is drawing to a close. As finals race towards me, I take a minute to reflect on the past year and the good, the bad and the funny that came with it.
1. You will get homesick.
I got homesick, but for me, it wasn't immediate. It happened later into first semester. I don't remember exactly when it was, but all of a sudden I was overwhelmed with feelings of missing my family and friends and my hometown. While this is something that commonly happens, it will pass. Focus on your school work and classes, and make it a point to leave your dorm room, even if that's the last thing that you want to do. You'll find friends that will make going home for break hard, and you'll wonder how you'll ever survive summer without seeing them every day!
2. You'll wonder how in the world you woke up for high school so early.
Going to college, I really believed that 8 a.m. classes wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, because high school started at 7:35 in the morning. I figured that the half hour, give or take, would make a world of difference when it came to my energy levels. Oh, how I was wrong. 8 a.m. classes should be avoided at all costs. It's not always possible and now next semester I'm looking at an 8 a.m. on Monday Wednesday Friday every week.
3. Your study habits will have to change.
In high school, I didn't have to study all that much. I definitely did, but it wasn't as much as some of the other kids I went to school with. When I got to college I had to buckle down and really study, and I'm thankful that I had the tools I needed to be able to do so.
4. The friends you make will change your life.
I remember sitting at lunch one day with my friends and the realization hit me that if we had decided to go to different universities, we wouldn't have met. I have friends from all over the country and the hardest thing is going to be leaving them for the summer (even though I'm beyond excited to see my friends and family at home!). I am, however, excited for the reunion hugs and screams when we finally see each other again (I know what they're like after spring and Christmas breaks, so I have no idea what these are going to be like, but I'm ready).
5. You'll find your place and your people.
Don't worry about this. I was worried at the start of the year, but it's true. Everyone finds their place and the people they are meant to be around. College is so incredibly different from high school that it's hard to describe just what I mean, but trust me. You'll be okay.
6. People care about you.
These people that were once strangers to you, friends, classmates and even professors, genuinely care about you. They want you to succeed and to be happy and healthy and safe. I can't tell you how many times I've been told to be safe while I travel or to feel better when I'm sick of my friends and professors. It's an amazing feeling.
7. Talk to your professors.
This kind of relates to number 6. My professors cared about me as a person (most of them), and I thoroughly enjoyed going to office hours and talking with them or joking around before and after class with them. They're incredible people with so much wisdom to share (yes this is different from knowledge in their subject area). So, to high schoolers reading this, remember it.
I don't know where the next three years at the amazing Butler University will take me, but I'm ready for them and the adventures that will come with them. Go Dawgs!
