They say college is different than high school, and I did not believe them until I was there in the moment living in my first apartment, studying six hours a day and occasionally crying myself to sleep.
1. You will probably not have straight "A's."
This was the hardest transition for me. I was a Valedictorian at my high school. I came from a large high school, so we had more than one. The letters "B" and "C" were simply just something that was not in my vocabulary and did not show up on my papers. I even took college classes in high school at a community college, but it turns out, going to a university and majoring in biology is a whole new game.
2. I learned how to be alone.
Living in a one-bedroom apartment, I spent a lot of time alone. Whether I was studying or watching Netflix, the majority of my time was spent by myself. At first, this was hard to get used to. I even went through a stage where I was depressed, my parents were not there and I was sick of studying all the time. Although, going through this struggle made me better, and in a way, I think it healed me. I no longer need anyone for my happiness, and I truly feel my heart and mindset is in a better place than when I started college.
3. Being in a sorority is not for everyone.
I pledged, and I was a member for a semester after initiation into the sorority. It just turned out Greek life was not for me. Like I said, I like to study six hours a day and I just found out that my priority was my grades and working. I tried to manage it, but in the end, you can not do it all. With that being said, I do encourage everyone to rush. I met so many great people, and you will make so many great memories in the process. You may even love Greek life, but the most important thing is to find your niche.
4. My hometown is where my heart is.
I remember my senior year and the time leading up to my freshmen year of college, I could not wait to leave my hometown. All of the people I have known since kindergarten and my past, I was ready to leave it all behind. I wanted to go away to somewhere else where my parents could not tell me what to do and hardly anyone knew who I was. As college went on, I came to realize there is truly "no place like home." My parents taking care of me, fighting with my little brother and friends back home is where I feel grounded and reminds me who I am and who I was raised to be.
5. The people you surround yourself with will change.
In some cases, I have just lost touch with friends, and this could be rekindled at any moment. In others, I had to remove them from my life. College is all about finding your "adult self." I found that I needed to be surrounded by people with the same dedication to their future as me. Unfortunately, many people from my past did not make the cut. "It's not you, it's me," and I truly do mean this. I changed, you did not, and I am sorry I had to leave you behind.
