We all know that college is very different from high school, yet most people have such a hard time adjusting to the new environment. Why is this? Is it the physical surroundings? Is it the people? Or maybe you're just growing as an individual? Regardless what the answer is, college changes you and that's OK.
One of the biggest differences might be that you won't be involved in all of the same activities as you were in high school. In high school I was involved in volleyball, swim, band, student council, NHS, and the list continues. It's near impossible to be able to be involved in that many clubs in organizations in college, but this can also depend on your major.
When I was in computer science, I decided to do marching band, a concert band, join students for environmental action, and I joined a mobile developing club (where I would help design and program apps). This became a lot to handle on top of already struggling to keep up with the coursework (calculus 2, computer programming classes, etc.). I was also trying to balance my social life by hanging out with the people from my dorm floor and wanted to make more friends and have time to spend with my boyfriend.
Adjusting from being two hours away from home, or any family member for that matter, was a lot different than I expected. I felt a sense of loss of identity and that if no one else knew who I was, then I didn't know who was. Our identities are so instilled in the people we meet and who we are friends with. This really got me to start thinking about who I am, and I realized I was on a quest to figure it out.
I would make lists of traits I thought I had or things I was passionate about, hoping that this would give me a better sense of who I was. It definitely helped. This self-discovery I was making ultimately led to me switching my major and realizing that it did not match with the identity of how I saw myself or how others saw me.
Switching my major was one of the best decisions I've made for my future so far. Every day I'm constantly learning more and more about myself. Social media was also playing a huge role in my identity and how I thought about myself. Sometimes sites like Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter glorify others' lives.
It was hard for me to give up this allusion that had been in my head all along. I wanted so badly to be like the people I saw in pictures and videos, that I had forgotten who I was. I was trying so hard to be like them. I know now that I'm much happier living true to myself.
I'm constantly finding things out about myself that I had never known or realized before. I try new things all of the time. The truth is that college will make you question quite a bit. It can be stressful and overwhelming but it makes you also realize what is most important in your life.
I learned that instead of trying to do everything I possibly could do, I should only do the things I enjoy the most and that mean the most to me. It's okay to not be the "perfect" person society says you should be.
Explore who you are, make friends with people who aren't like you, and get uncomfortable. This is one of the only ways to figure out who you truly are and what you like to do. Embrace the change and learn as much as you can! After all, college doesn't last forever.
