Moving away for college may seem scary for most. Moving to a new area, where you may not know anyone or where anything is, is a terrifying idea. So, what happens when you’re going from a town with a population of roughly 50,000 people to a city with 4.2 million?
I grew up in Titusville, Florida. Most people don’t know where this is, so I’ll explain it to you like I’ve explained it to everyone my entire life. “It’s near Orlando,” or “It’s where NASA is located.”
*Cue the sudden realization of where Titusville is.*
It is different for me to be able to just tell people that I live in Tampa, Florida. No explanation is needed. They know exactly where I am talking about.
Coming to the University of South Florida was nerve-wracking for me, as I didn’t know a single person that was going. I went to a high school where everybody pretty much knew everybody. When I started school here, I couldn’t see a single familiar face. Yes, it gave me a clean slate. I could be anybody I wanted to be. However, it’s made me miss the familiarity within the walls of my high school.
USF Tampa seems so big to me, as I am still growing accustomed to being here. It resembles the idea of going from a small town to a big city. My high school represents that small town, tight-knit community, while USF resembles the vast area of Tampa, where everything is brand new to me.
Don’t get me wrong. I absolutely adore Tampa. I’ve traveled here for concerts and other events quite often, and I absolutely love it. I just wish that I had a few familiar faces around to make me feel more comfortable. Good things take time. Once I get used to being here, I believe my experience at USF will be one I never forget.
Titusville doesn’t offer much, as far as things to do. To go out, you really must go to Orlando or Merritt Island to find anything. In Tampa, there is like four of everything, and there is always something to do. That’s great, but it can also be a bit overwhelming. You feel like you must hurry and get out to do everything. It’ll always be there. My biggest piece of advice to anyone is to pace yourself and not just focus on going out every night. In the end, we’re all here to get an education, and that is the top priority.
Also, the traffic here sucks. That’s all I’ll say about that.
To anyone considering the transition from a small town to a big city, I would suggest that you take every opportunity to get out and meet people. USF has Week of Welcome and the First Fifty Days where there are so many chances for you to meet some people. The more friends you make, the smaller the university will seem.
Change is good. It is normal to feel overwhelmed at first. Take every opportunity and meet people! Especially at USF, everyone is very welcoming. Soon, you’ll realize that Tampa, or wherever you move to, isn’t as big and scary as you thought. It will become home.
