I transferred to Seton Hall University last Spring from the University of Mississippi. After a not so great experience, I was lucky to be welcomed with open arms at a new school. Although I spent my semester commuting, I still fell in love with the school and decided to return and live on campus for Fall 2017. I spent my whole summer stressing about what life would be like for me once school started up again. I was scared that I would be unhappy and have a similar experience to my semester at Ole Miss.
I felt as if I were going to be a freshman again, with no idea where to go, what to do, or who to talk to.
But after some time, I realized, “Wow! It’s like I’m a Freshman again!” I get to have a completely fresh start. No one knows who I am, or where I came from. My first week living at SHU is a completely different experience. I feel happy and blessed to be surrounded by great people. I’ve learned so much about who I want to be and who I want to surround myself with. If I could go back in time to give advice to my Freshman self, I would say this:
Go outside of your comfort zone.
In college, it’s so easy to stay in your room all day and do absolutely nothing. I think it’s crucial to stay outside and keep busy during the day. Go to the gym, library, cafeteria, basically anywhere besides your room. Talk to the people in your class! Join a club or a sport! College is an environment where, especially freshman year, no one knows what’s going on so you have to try your best to find other people to be confused with.
Which brings me to my next point: don’t be afraid to ask questions.
If you’re lost or confused, just ask someone to help you. I promise that no one will make fun of you.
Lastly, just be yourself.
It’s a waste of your time, and everyone else’s to try to be somebody that you aren’t. If you try too hard to be someone else because you want to be “cool” or “accepted” you will end up more losing who you actually are. Finding genuine people who love you for you, is so much better than spending your best four years trying to live up to people’s expectations of you. College can be a very intimidating place. Although, if you put things into perspective, it’s just a bunch of kids, acting like adults, trying to figure out who they want to be.
If you are ever overwhelmed, you should always tell someone what’s on your mind. And don’t forget to call your parents! They love you! With all I have been through, I like to keep in the back of my mind that everything happens for a reason. People come and go, and that’s just a part of life. I’m still learning and growing as a person, and am glad that I get to continue my journey at Seton Hall!