College can be quite intimidating, especially when it comes to being in a new environment you’ve never been in before. Having to sleep there almost everyday of the year and meeting new people you’ve never met before. I felt this way when entering college for the first time and here are some things I wished I knew…
Failure and Mistakes Are Okay
You can’t always be perfect when it comes to your schoolwork. Especially being online now because of the pandemic, I’ve found it extremely difficult and challenging to find motivation. I was only able to have classes in person for about almost half of my college career, but the sudden shift of online classes causes my downfall of motivation. Failure and mistakes in college are okay. I’ve come to realize this after trying so hard when motivation was on a thin line with me. I’ve had countless teachers, parents, friends tell me that failure and mistakes are not okay in college, that being behind with classes or a semester will ruin your chances. But that’s not true, taking things at your own pace can be what’s best for you.
Hookup Culture
Going into college single and ready to mingle can be easy and difficult at the same time. There are so many new people that you meet almost every day, whether it be at a party or a class. Hookup culture is rarely talked about as not many people want to talk about it. It can be a confusing experience, not everyone wants to talk about their feelings or even show them. Take things the way you want them, not what other people want, it’s your love life not theirs.
Managing Money
Being a student off-campus in an apartment is convenient, but also extremely expensive depending on where you live. Finding ways to manage your money can be extremely beneficial, especially when it comes to buying groceries, gas, rent and other things. It can be hard not wanting to say no to friends that want to go out for drinks, but you need to save your money for groceries or gas. Finding a system to budget your money can be beneficial and life-saving, especially when you want to go out and get drinks with your friends rather than staying in on those nights.
Making Friends
When it comes to making friends, not everyone wants to be your friend. And that’s okay. People come and go in your life, those who you don’t want to leave especially. Freshman year is the year where you become friends with just about everyone, you’re all in the same boat and eventually you meet your group of friends. And throughout your college years, friends come and go. Once you meet your group of friends everything falls into place and makes college much more enjoyable and easier.
While these are just a few examples of what I wished I knew before college, there is so much more. College is a fun and exciting experience, it’s where I met my forever friends, and have so many memorable memories. Though college can be frustrating and intimidating, take everything slowly and at your own pace!