- . The Adjustment Period Is Real
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I remember thinking that I wouldn’t have an adjustment period because of how excited and prepared I felt. However, there’s a learning curve to everything in college. One day, your whole typical routine completely changes.
It takes time to find your routine and your people, and that’s completely normal.
- . You Have to Learn How to Actually Study
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I never had to study in high school, so this was the most important thing for me to learn. I had a huge wakeup call when I took my first Econ exam. You may believe you understand the content in lectures, but most of the understanding comes from work that you put in outside of the classroom.
You have to figure out study methods that genuinely work for you, and that takes trial and error. I like to study a little the week before the test, and then the night before, I study all the concepts together. Then, the more of the test I do, the more I’ll wake up around 5 a.m. just reviewing; this method is what works best for me.
- . Balancing Social Life and Academics Takes Time
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During my first semester, I struggled to balance my time. In the past, my schedule felt predictable. I knew when I’d see my friends, and the workload was much lighter.
Suddenly, I was juggling social events with extracurricular involvement, and a much heavier academic load all at once. Finding that balance didn’t happen overnight; it’s something that takes time and experience to develop.
While school is obviously a priority, making time for yourself and your friends is just as important. Personally, I try to complete most of my schoolwork by the end of the week so I can use the weekend to recharge and spend time with friends.
- . Sleep Won’t Always Be Perfect
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I used to be super stressed if I wasn’t asleep at a certain time, as someone who values sleep. During busy times, you might not get eight hours of sleep every night, and that’s an adjustment in itself. Learning how to manage your time and still take care of yourself is part of the process.
- . You Will Change More Than You Expect
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I personally didn’t think I would change at all after my freshman year; that was a naive way of thinking. Change is a normal and great thing when you are in a new environment with new people for a period of time. My interests changed so much that I even changed my major after just two months of being in college.
College also pushes you to grow in ways you don’t always notice right away. When you go home, things can feel different, like you’ve outgrown parts of your old life. And in those moments, you start to realize how much you’ve changed, even if it happened slowly.
- . Everything Feels Chaotic Before It Comes Together
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There will be times when it feels like everything is going wrong at once, and you can feel overwhelmed and not prepared. But over time, things start to fall into place. It just takes patience and adjustment.
In the end, college isn’t about having everything figured out right away. It’s about growing into yourself and being open to all the new experiences college has to offer. It may be difficult at first, but it won’t feel that way forever.