The way college/university is portrayed in the media is radically different than the way the college experience truly is. In the movies, college is everything you ever wanted and more. It is a place where you automatically make tons of friends, go out and have the time of your life, and where you discover your passions. What do all these themes have in common? These themes all perpetuate the idea that the college experience is fulfilling in a short period of time. Do students actually go on late night adventures every night, party until sunrise, and manage to maintain almost perfect GPAs? No.
Realistically, college may not be the experience you bargained for, so the existence of these assumptions may harm the experiences of actual college students. Finding oneself takes years; It is certainly not an overnight transformation. The same can be said for discovering passions and creating strong relationships with peers. How can you make your college experience less dull and more worthwhile? Here are five tips to help.
1. Evaluate your campus involvement
College first-year’s tend to join an abundance of organizations on campus in order to get involved. At first, this may seem like a grand idea, but it can be stressful to balance excess extracurriculars. A way to create a more enjoyable college experience is to evaluate which extracurriculars you are genuinely willing to commit your time and energy to. It is about the quality of your involvement, not the quantity of activities you are involved in.
2. Embrace your independence
It can be tempting to latch on to family or old friends when you’re a college student. Yes, these already established relationships matter, but creating outside connections and branching out of your comfort zone can be worthwhile. Depending on others is natural, but depending on yourself matters the most. Embracing independence does not mean that you can’t be close to your family or current best friends; It simply encourages students to absorb the freedom of being college students by channeling their energies into new people, activities, and behaviors that will elevate the quality of their lives. Independence is key to building character and feeling comfortable in social, academic, and professional settings!
3. Do not sit idly by
In films depicting “college life,” protagonists are always the ones to be approached and invited to social gatherings. In real life, it takes days or even weeks to make plans that work for specific friend groups. Take initiative and plan the parties or hangouts you want to be a part of, instead of waiting for others to read your mind and ask you to hang out! Waiting in desperation is the worst way to spend your time; Be bold and make the first move if you want to spice up your life!
4. Take your education seriously
Let’s be real–college is NOT cheap. It’s expensive to go to school, but is still a privilege to have higher education accessible to you. You’re paying big bucks for your diploma, you might as well make it worth it. Take the time to talk to your professor after class if you don’t understand something, talk to your friends and form a study group for an exam coming up, be proactive in your learning. While exams and papers seem like a pain right now, years from now I guarantee you will miss the everyday learning opportunities you have here at Augustana.
5. Be open to change
Your late teens and early twenties are like mental puberty. It sounds cliche, but most likely, you will leave college as a way different person than when who you were when you first got to Augustana. Being on your own away from your parents really gives you the opportunity to find who you are and grow as a person. I know, I know, people keep saying this to you over and over, but trust me, it’s absolutely true. Take the time to self-evaluate your choices and really figure out how you can be the best possible version of you. Try something new every once in a while, you never know what doors that could open.
College does not have to be disappointing or dull. Avoid comparing your unique college experience to the ones you read or hear about in the media in order to maximize your own experience!