As the semester slowly draws to a close, I find myself reflecting back on my first year here at American. It involved a lot of laughs, a lot of tears, and a lot more work. The year has had its share of ups and downs, but looking back on it all now, I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I’ve learned so much in such a short time. But still, there are things I wish I had known before I got here. So, I’m going to share with you some things that I’ve learned this year and things I wish I had known.
1. It’s okay to be by yourself.
Prior to coming to college, I had never really spent time alone. I mean, I did, but staying home alone and driving alone are definitely different from actually doing things and living on your own. I spent all of September and October freaking out because I didn’t want to be by myself. Eating alone? No thanks. Going to Tenleytown alone? Nope! Fast forward to now, and I’m finally okay with it. Eating lunch by myself? Not a problem! Staying in my room all day where it’s quiet? Please and thank you! You will slowly start to realize that having this alone time is good for you, that you actually get time to think, gather your thoughts, and get work done. It’ll be hard at first, but eventually you’ll realize that the alone time is a necessary evil.
2. Privacy is no longer a thing.
For some reason, before I got here, it didn’t even occur to me that I was giving up my privacy in all its forms. Not only do you share a room with someone else, but you share a bathroom with LOTS of people. It doesn’t sound to bad a first, but after the first time you go to take a shower and the person in the stall next to you is singing like she’s Ariana Grande, it’ll dawn on you that your privacy is gone. You wake up, and there’s someone there. You want to change, but there’s someone there. You want to pee in peace at 3am? Nope! There will probably be someone in the stall next to you puking up her guts from that night’s party. It’s all in good fun though, because the moment you set foot back into your own house you will no longer mind it when your sister walks in to brush her teeth while you’re showering.
3. If you’re lucky, your roommate will become one of your closest friends.
The whole roommate thing is stressful enough as it is, and getting a crappy roommate doesn’t make it any better. The whole system is hit or miss. Either you create a Facebook connection with a random girl in the “Class of ______” group, or you just show up on move in day and meet the person you will be sharing a room with for the next year. Either way, it’s up in the air. If you’re lucky though, you’ll get a gem of a person to live with! My roommate and I bonded instantly on day one when she high-fived me instead of shaking my hand or awkwardly hugging me out of the blue. The rest is history! It helps a lot when you know that there’s someone incredibly near by to put up with your rants and your tears at all hours of the day. Finding the perfect roommate is really up to chance, but hopefully for all you new freshmen out there, you’ll luck out!
4. Your family is never more than a phone call away.
If you’re anything like me, you’ll probably find yourself freaking out because you’re parents are gone. Not gone gone, but they’re definitely not around to tell you what to do anymore. You, my friend, are on your own. This streak of independence is all fun and games until you get hit with that very first wave of homesickness. Unfortunately, that feeling never completely goes away, but with technology these days, your parents a never more than a click away! Have a bad day in micro? Text your dad! Think you broke the washing machine on your floor? Call your mom! Can’t figure out how to avoid eating ramen on a low budget? FaceTime your sister! Trust me, it’ll be hard at first, but soon enough it’ll be Thanksgiving break and you’ll be wondering where the time went!
5. Enjoy every moment of it.
Something I wish I had known going into my freshmen year was to not stress out. You only get to be a freshmen once, and this will be the only real year in college you have to goof off, so make the best of it. Yes, it will have its ups and downs, and yes you’ll stress out about who to eat lunch with because it isn’t high school any more. At the end of second semester though, when the year is slowly drawing to a close, you don’t want to find yourself saying “I wish I had” or “I should have.” Make the best of it, because it really is a once in a lifetime experience.