Let’s be real, we’re not all at our first choice school. I know I’m not. Life happens, and our hopes and plans fall through but it is not the end of the world. So for better or worse, we’re spending the next four years of our lives at UNCG. Now what? How do we make our time the best ever? It’s not terribly hard, but it takes work. Friendships and connections take time. But eventually, UNCG grows on you and becomes home. Here are some things that I learned in my first year that seemed to speed that process:
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Cry. Y’all I hate crying, despite how big an advocate I am of it. Crying is such a stress relief, though. A good cry can make life feel just a little bit better. The transition to college is already so stressful, but transitioning to a college where you didn’t necessarily plan to be? You need to cry, I guarantee it.
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Stay busy. Not too busy; you don’t need any unnecessary stress. But get involved in a couple of things outside of academics. Staying busy helps keep your mind off your first choice school, helps you experience all the amazing things UNCG and Greensboro have to offer, and helps you meet people.
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Make friends outside of necessity. You know those people you meet in class that you only talk to because you need the notes from last class. Make some friends who you can talk to outside of class, who will be there when you need it. You need people you can talk to about life, not just schoolwork.
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Be vulnerable. Be vulnerable with yourself and other people. Don’t ignore your feelings. Acknowledge them and talk about them. That’s how you can get help and advice. Who knows, maybe you’ll find someone else who feels the same way as you. It’s always a great comfort finding people who are in the same boat as you.
- Put down roots. I think this is the sum of everything I’m trying to say. With each thing you get involved with here at UNCG, with every friendship and happy memory made here, you slowly tie yourself to UNCG until it’s home. It was after I joined the ultimate frisbee team and a campus ministry that I began to enjoy and love UNCG. I was staying busy with schoolwork and these two clubs. I was meeting cool people and making even cooler friends. It took time, but after my first semester I was calling my teammates my friends, the people from my campus ministry my brothers and sisters, and UNCG my home.