Leaving home for college was a dream come true for a lot of reasons. I was away from my parents and my annoying brothers, and I was ready to start the newest chapter in my life. But one of my biggest reasons for being excited about the start of college was the fact that now I had full control over how my life was going to look over the next four years.
Talking to my new fellow Scotties during those first few days at orientation, I was amazed by how accomplished everyone seemed to be. Students all around me were published poets and authors, had already completed amazing internships or research opportunities, and were so actively involved in their communities and the world at large. I felt the things I had done couldn’t even compare, so I saw college as my chance to do everything. And at Agnes, I was being exposed to so many positive and unfamiliar opportunities, there weren’t any limitations on how I could make use of my freedom at college. So, I laid out the perfect academic plan, additional extracurricular activities included, and looked forward to the future with extreme enthusiasm.
I didn’t even make it to the end of the first semester before I burned out. And it only got worse during the following spring semester. College ended up being a lot more difficult than I thought it was going to be. I can admit that fact now, over two years later, but at the time I refused to believe my situation was as dire was it was. In my quest to get the most out of my time, I extended myself way too far and definitely bit off more than I could chew.
Now as a junior, five semesters into college out of eight, I wish I could back in time and tell first year-me all the things I’ve learned about navigating college since then.
Image via Alexis Brown/ Unsplash
As much as I love to have control, being flexible is also important. There were so many times I thought the world was going to end because my schedule had to deviate from how I originally planned it to be, or wasn’t picked for something I applied to, or missed out on an opportunity because of a missed deadline. But the world didn’t end, and everything’s turned out fine. I’m still on track to graduate on time (with a double major, a minor, and a completed specialization), despite having to jump through a couple hoops and face a few unexpected turned.
I’ve also had to learn I can’t do everything, no matter how badly I want to. Some people don’t have my same problems. They can easily balance a heavy course load with participating in organizational activities, and even having a job or internship too. I am not one of those people. It’s been difficult to accept that. Personally, when I stretch myself too far by taking on too many responsibilities, I get overwhelmed and shut down. Working through this understanding has been goal these last few semesters and has already improved the rest of my time at college.
There’s no one way to be successful in college, and your success shouldn’t be measured in comparison to someone else’s. Understand your limits, rely on support systems when you need them, but most importantly, remember that you’re not alone. No one has a perfect life, the struggle is real, and college isn’t always going to live up to fanciful expectation. And that’s perfectly okay.