College is a scary place, no matter the size of your campus. Things get really stressful, really fast, and it's a lot to intake as a freshman. Classes are in different buildings? People do (insert shocking thing) in public? It's truly an entirely different world. Here are a few things that world has shown me personally, just within the the first month of being on campus full time.
#1: Homework and studying win over going home on weekends.
A rather harsh reality I've faced is I won't be going home on weekends like I originally intended. If I do, it's only going to be for a day. It's extremely difficult to get yourself in a "study" mindset when you're preoccupied with seeing friends and relatives. At most, I can only afford to go every other weekend.
#2: Class and homework win over food.
When I typed out my schedule on a spreadsheet this summer, there were three cells on every day that read "breakfast", "lunch", and "dinner". I quickly discovered that this is actually impossible. It's difficult to get up early enough before class to eat breakfast, even if class isn't until noon, because you were studying until 2 AM. It's also difficult to get to dinner because, again, you have to study. Oftentimes, I stick to a big lunch and some small snacks.
#3: Getting involved is a really good idea.
Even after only being here just shy of a month, I can safely say that getting involved is a wonderful, fantastic idea. It sets up a support system with multiple layers and multiple caches. It also opens up to fantastic internships you can apply to later on.
#4: There is no shame in using counseling services your school provides.
You're having a nervous breakdown? So has almost every other student at some point (for some, on multiple occasions). If your university offers counseling and stress management services, there is no shame in utilizing them, especially if they're free, which most are.
#5: Some professors just do not care.
My English professor shows up to class every single day in a black Hanes T-shirt, jeans, and one of the two pairs of tennis shoes he owns. They swear in class, and are blunt as all get out (it's really hilarious, actually).
#6: Some professors really, really care.
Another professor I have, on the other hand, will kick you out of class if they see a phone in your hand. It's super intense.
(I should add, they're also a major sweetheart, they just have strict rules).
#7: Even on a small campus, the diversity is wide, wonderful, and beautiful.
In just a short month, I've met so many different people. I've met a boy from Kuwait with social anxiety; I've met Muslims, Pagans, Jewish people: I've met Germans, a Pakistani man, Korean students, Chinese students, and a Tibetan student. College is where everyone comes together to celebrate and bond over things other than their heritage and religion; here, we bond over eternal exhaustion and gross amounts of caffeine intake. I think that's absolutely beautiful.
Please, don't let any of this scare you away from college. By all means, go, pursue your dreams and all that optimistic mess. Just know what to expect: there will be trial and tribulation, and some of it will come off as trite... but it truly is worth it. At least, it is for me, so far!