Life is a capricious progression of experiences that compound around and within us to mold our perceptions and personalities. Despite the relative unpredictability of each of our specific lives, the majority of us follow a relatively similar sequence of life events. A hazy, ethereal childhood, a strident, gauche middle phase and the tumultuous conclusiveness of high school. And by this point we have arrived at perhaps one of the most significant and impactful stages of our lives: college.
(Photo credit: Community Walk)
By now, everyone is about a month into the school year, getting into the swing of new grade levels, classes and people. And for college freshmen the “fall adjustment period” is even more unusual than anything previously experienced. New town, new campus, new living situation, new academic and social demands; leaving your home and your roots without your family and friends there right by your side to guide and support you at every turn. It’s overwhelming to be thrown into a foreign environment and have the immediate pressure to be active and succeed thrust upon you; but under pressure, stone turns to diamond.
It is important to remember that your emotions and experiences are all valid, and they are all important. Anxiety, excitement, intimidation, exhilaration. College is probably one of the biggest transformative experiences that you will go through over the course of your lifetime. In high school you began to shape your identity, started to fall into the person who you are or who you thought you might want to be. But in college, with a clean slate and significantly less history to follow you, there is a kind of freedom to build your identity and shape your interests without the influence and bias of people who might have your best interests in mind, but not the best idea of who you would like to become. Taking advantage of this can be very taxing; learning to balance clubs, academics, social fun and self care takes some time to get used to, but ultimately it is what will drive you to become your own person, steadfast in your beliefs and in your identity. And it is easy to miss the comfort of your past life, the sway of high school, stability of home standards and routines. It would be hard not to miss the way things used to be — it’s an inherent part of your being and human experience. Without that base, there would be nowhere to evolve from.
(Photo credit: Amy V. Norris)
So as long as you grow from, with and through yourself and your experiences, past, present and future, no matter what you happen upon or go through, you will be able to accomplish, achieve and rise above. Use the rush and novelty of college to cultivate your spirit and your beliefs, and don’t sweat the small stuff. Everything will fall into place.