I grew up in a small town, going to school with the same group of people for my whole life, knowing nearly everyone in the entire town. Then I moved away to go to school, a university that has a student population nearly seven times that of the town I grew up in. Walking around campus my first day was extremely overwhelming, not only did I have no idea where my classes were but never had I been around that many people. These are just a couple of things I’ve noticed during my first year at a big university.
The first huge difference is the number of people on campus, there are people everywhere you look. The crosswalk can potentially have more people than your high school’s graduating class did in it, and you won’t know any of them. This can definitely be overwhelming, and hard to maneuver, because you literally are trapped in a herd of people. Just go with the flow the first couple of days and you’ll figure out your way around campus quickly by following the upperclassmen. Also, there is going to be a long line for anything food related on campus. Fair warning, just skip it if there’s no line, there’s always a reason for it.
The second difference is the types of people on campus. Back home there were probably a couple of people who looked or even dressed similarly to you. Not here. This new found individualism will give you the opportunity to dress how you like, and be able to be true to yourself. It will also give you the chance to meet people that you can relate to on something deeper than superficial appearances. There’s a club for nearly anything you can think of on campus, which is a great way to meet other similarly interested people.
Third, there is always something happening. Back home nearly everything in town other than the McDonald's is closed by 9 p.m. In a big city, you’ve got a plethora of options to keep you entertained, from getting food to going downtown for a night out. It’s nearly impossible to get bored, between festivals, games, and museums. There are also tons of restaurants, lots of them relatively cheap, many with deals for college students.
It will take a while for you to get out of the shell of your small town, but that's totally normal. Once you get over the culture shock and begin to embrace all the opportunities that come with being at a big school, in a big city you will begin to fit into the size and culture of it. This growth leads into new friends along with new experiences to go along with them.
