If your first semester of college feels overwhelming, you’re not alone. I remember exactly what it felt like, and I want to take you through that experience. Over the summer, getting ready to move away from home and experience real freedom feels incredibly exciting. But what I didn’t expect was how quickly that excitement could turn into feeling overwhelmed and homesick. I wasn’t prepared for that at all. It’s like getting ready for a lake trip with people you’ve never met, heading somewhere completely unfamiliar. As I checked off my packing list and loaded the car for college, I was full of anticipation, ready to finally get my feet wet.
Move-in day was great and exciting. I was finally happy to decorate my room, the place I would call home for the next year. I hugged my parents goodbye, and it felt like they handed me a life vest as they left. Welcome week was great and all, meeting so many new and wonderful people. But soon enough, I found myself standing at the edge of the lake, ready to jump in and really dive into my classes.
Trying to juggle everything was harder than I expected. Staying in touch with friends and family from back home felt like they were all standing on the shore, watching me from a distance while I was out in the water. “3… 2… 1… JUMP!” I jumped into the lake I call college. I went out, partied a bit, tried new things, and even tried new food. At first, I was swimming with a floaty; this floaty represented the amazing staff from welcome week, my RA, and the support from people back home.
As I got further into my classes and new experiences, that floaty slowly turned into a pool noodle. I had to work harder to stay afloat. Then, as the semester got deeper, I lost that flotation device altogether. That’s when the homesickness really started to kick in. I was in the middle of the lake, far away from my family and old friends, and I didn’t yet have a solid friend group around me. I started to get tired of swimming, and it felt like I was slowly drowning in college.
The people I thought would be my friends started swimming away, and I had to figure things out on my own. I tried floating on my back just to stay stable. I took naps throughout the day to keep myself rested and calm, just trying to get through it. As I was struggling, I could see people in boats. Those boats were my professors, different departments at my school, and even my roommate. But I was so tired that it felt almost impossible to climb onto one of those boats, even though I knew I needed help.
I called my family and friends back on the shore, updating them on what I had been doing in college so far. They listened and supported me, but they couldn’t swim out to me. I could see all the help around me, but it still felt so hard to actually reach for it.
Then I noticed another student who also seemed like they were drowning. Eventually, I found one girl, and we latched onto each other. Having her there helped me stay afloat. We got along so well and became friends quickly. We realized we were in the same situation, just trying to survive in the same lake. Together, we started swimming around to find others like us.
Eventually, we found a group of five or six other people. With enough of us together, we were able to lift each other and climb onto an empty boat. We were successful, and finally, we had some stability. On that boat, we became really close, supporting each other through everything. Now and then, we could even go back to shore to visit family during holiday breaks.
Over time, it felt like my family was sending out life savers, and I was finally able to grab onto them. I became much happier, more confident, and more secure in college. What once felt like drowning slowly turned into learning how to stay afloat, and eventually, how to swim on my own. And even now, I know there will still be waves and moments where the water feels deep again, but I’m no longer as scared. I’ve learned that I’m not alone in the lake, and that it’s okay to ask for help when I need it. College didn’t get easier overnight, but I got stronger, and that made all the difference.