Boston University, Day 57
I have a creeping suspicion that the “college honeymoon phase” is a hoax. It just doesn’t seem real, or at least if it is, I don’t think I’m ever going to grow out of it.
I am almost two months into my freshman year of college, and I’ve survived my first round of intense midterms. Sure, there have been good days and bad. My life is no more perfect than anyone else’s. But even on the worst days, I am still overwhelmed with appreciation for my new school, new city, and the friends I’ve made since move-in day on September 1st.
Credit: Sarah Busick (ig: @thesoundof_sarahndipity)
One morning, I had stayed up until 5 am the night before, and my first class was at 9 am. I had four classes that day with quizzes in three of them. I rolled out of bed at the last minute, which meant I didn’t have time for breakfast. I had to take 7 flights of stairs because I didn’t have time to wait for the elevator. I was exhausted and incredibly stressed—I could feel my mind reeling. But when I stepped outside, all of that melted away.
Credit: Boston University / Instagram
CAS was glowing in the golden morning light, and Marsh Plaza was alive with crowds of students rushing to class. The sky was a brilliant shade of blue, and the sounds of the city hummed softly in my ears.
How could I be in an awful mood when I’m lucky enough to live here? Yes, I was still drained and almost late to class. Yes, I struggled to stay awake in my 9 am and my stomach grumbled until I had time to pick up breakfast. But whenever I remind myself of what an amazing opportunity I have just by being here, all of those problems seem so much smaller.
I have yet to grow out of this feeling, but not every student will have an experience identical to mine. As such, I decided to ask other BU freshmen if they thought the “college honeymoon phase” was real.
Credit: Boston University
“I don’t think that would be something that… people experience.” Carly Mast (CAS ‘22) decided. “I think that most of the time your first month or your first semester at college is really hard and really lonely and most people aren’t super happy and super into it, you’re just hearing from people who are really happy and really into it, so the people who are sad and who are lonely aren’t talking about how sad and lonely they are.”
Emalyn Raper (ENG ‘22) agreed, stating, “I’m able to be really stressed out one moment but then take a break from that and have a really good time the next, so it’s kind of like I have one foot in the honeymoon phase and one foot in the stress phase, and maybe soon will come a moment when both of my feet are in the stress phase… but it hasn’t completely happened yet.”
Yet some students find validity in the concept of a college honeymoon phase.“There was this period where everything seems so exciting and so good and there was nothing bad about anything. You know, those first months we were like, ‘we’re thriving!’… and now it’s like, this is life,” Jules Bulafka (CAS ‘22) added. “It could just be settling in, but I think that’s what the end of the honeymoon phase is, you just feel comfortable with everything.”
Everyone has a unique experience during their first months of college. Whether you’re still head-over-heels in love with your school or you’re starting to feel the pressure of a college workload, remember to take it all in, one day at a time.
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