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College life 101: Getting Adjusted 

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Alicia Ingram Student Contributor, Bowie State University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Bowie State chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

How to handle getting adjusted to campus life

Have you ever wondered how different your mindset really becomes during your transition from high school to college? Ever wondered why you don’t entertain and tolerate the same things? During what seems like an incredibly stressful time of your life your brain is also changing and this can be very confusing. Dealing with emotions while also getting adjusted to an extremely hard thing to do. 

Coming into college alone can be a difficult task and a big adjustment for most. Being away from home, family, pets, friends etc and then somehow having to start over or even come back is a big difference from being at home. Being in the comfort of your family, and friends makes a big difference in students and their mental health. 

Studies show that about 60% of college freshman mental health in their first semester significantly decreases. This is primarily due to being homesick. People miss their lives and their families. Along with trying to understand and comprehend their new environment. Students also have to get used to a new place, their living, sleeping and their doing this all while trying to make friends. Students are learning more about themselves than ever before. As a current freshman I can relate to this a lot. Although my family doesn’t live far, getting adjusted on campus has not been anything I could have prepared for. I had to learn discipline, I had to relearn how to talk to new people and introduce myself as well as trying to change certain aspects of myself. 

I have learned so much about myself but also about others as well. I have learned that not everyone has common decency, and that sometimes I do need my mom. It’s been a crazy ride but honestly I wouldn’t trade my experience for the world. 

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Alicia Ingram

Bowie State '30

I am a freshman here at Bowie State with a major in nursing and a passion for writing! I am a first generation college student from Baltimore, Maryland. I thoroughly enjoy crocheting, painting, singing, acting, and writing. I love theatre and became heavily involved in high school. I have worked behind the scenes as well as being in front of the spotlight. 

In high school I took a class called Biomedical Innovations for four years. In the class I got certified to stop the bleed and learned more about myself then I can say. During this course I made great friendships and confirmed my passion for nursing. I learned that my profession is not always easy and that I will have obstacles not just patients but with my work-life balance. But this course also taught me something else I love: THEATRE!

I started theatre in the tenth grade and I haven’t stopped loving it since.I’ve watched plays and musicals for most of my life until I realized I'd actually like it. One of my friends from Biomedical Innovations actually introduced me to theatre. I worked behind the scenes and then gained courage to actually audition. My first audition went terribly and it set me back a lot. But once I heard everyone got a part in the spring musical I was happy. I eventually gained the courage and I made it. I was a background character but I still loved it!

My love for helping people started when I was in the third grade. My mother took me to work at her assisted living every weekend. I loved watching her care for the people who couldn’t care for themselves. It gave me so much joy. Watching her interact, play, feed and clothe them peaked my interest. And from that point on I knew that’s what I wanted to do.For some nursing is a good check with even better benefits, but for me it’s a passion. From the ripe age of seven I knew I wanted to work with kids.