1. Changing your major does not mean you don’t know what you want.
This semester, I made the decision to change my major. To me, changing your major meant you didn’t know what you wanted and were just floating around. But then, I came to terms with the fact that I needed to make the decision that would make me happiest in the next three years. I also understood that I wasn’t changing my major because I didn’t know what I wanted, but because I came in knowing what I wanted and wasn’t getting that. Since that didn’t make me happy, I had to change something.
2. Your mom cares about the little things in your life
I never considered myself close to my mom. In fact, I always said that I was closer to my older sister than to my mom. However, this year, I realized that there were times when things happened that I really wanted to tell someone, but while they were significant to me, they were irrelevant to everyone else, but my mom. I found myself wanting to tell her things about my day that I otherwise wouldn’t have told anyone else, because I knew she was the only one who cared about them because she was my mom.
3. It’s okay to go home
I never thought I would be saying this, but one of my biggest regrets is not going home more often. Before I even moved in on campus, I decided that I wouldn’t go home except for breaks, when we had to leave, and I stuck to that resolve through both semesters. Looking back, though, I wish I had gone home so that I could spend time with my family. I’m starting to realize just how important they are to me, and any time I spend with them is valuable.
4. You will gain weight
I thought when I came here that I would eat really healthy and workout all the time and not gain the freshman 15. While I have worked out much more than I did at home, I definitely did not eat as well as I could have. Part of the weight gain is my body adjusting to a different lifestyle, and part of it is a reaction to stress from academics and learning to adult. Part of it is also just changes in my body as it grows older. I’m not going to look the same as I did at 15, but I’m 18 now and my body has to keep up with me.
5. It’s okay to indulge in your favorites late night snacks
As I already mentioned, I thought I would eat supper healthy when I came here and defy what everyone told me. For at least a month and a half to two months, at the beginning of fall semester, I stayed away from sugary foods and kept away from snacking. I knew since high school that I had a tendency to eat through my emotions, and most of the time when I was doing that here, I knew I was doing it. However, it’s okay to do what you need to do, especially if it gives you some satisfaction, because sometimes your sanity just needs a pint of Ben and Jerrys (or Haagen Dazs).
6. You need to take some time to unwind
For me, that usually means watching an episode of the Flash or Teen Wolf, or dancing or even crocheting. I used to feel super guilty if I let myself take time for these things, because I felt like I should have been studying. But then, I realized that I wasn’t being very productive at my work, and that doing the things I enjoyed helped me get in the zone better. Saturating myself with only work was definitely not helping me.
7. It’s okay to do things alone
I’ve always been a very introverted person, and my friends have made me realize that it’s okay to be an introvert. Since I didn’t really know people in my major, I would go to department events alone, and while it did feel awkward, it wasn’t that big of a deal, because other people were there alone too. Sometimes it’s a hassle to coordinate schedules with people and sometimes I just don’t feel like being super social. Being by myself doesn’t mean I don’t have friends, it just means I enjoy my own company.
8. Don’t feel guilty for having fun
Most people come to college looking forward to having more freedom, and I did too. But then, when I was spending time with friends and having fun, I started feeling guilty, because I felt like I should have been studying. But one of my friends put those qualms to rest when she told me, “You’re not going to remember the nights you spent doing work. You’re going to remember having a dance party in the middle of a blackout at 3 in the morning.”
9. You have to put yourself out of your comfort zone
I came to college thinking I would get a fresh start and transform into someone very different from who I was in high school. I think I haven’t changed as much I would have liked to in the past year. There were times I put myself out of my comfort zone, and they definitely helped me grow as a person, but I could have put myself out there much more than I did. The only way I can change is by having new experiences, and the only way I can have those is by putting myself in new situations.
10. College is what you make of it
I had high expectations when I came here, and some of them were met, but many were not. Looking back, I realize that I’m going to get out of my experiences what I put into them, and that’s the same for college. I can have the experience I want if I keep my mind open.