As my first year of college comes to an end, I can’t help but think back to the girl who chose Cal Poly as the place to spend what some people consider “the best time of their lives.” I remember the conflicting feelings of excitement, but also the nerves of seemingly being on your own. The following is my personal advice that helped get me through my first year of college.
- Your people are out there waiting for you, you just haven’t met them yet
Before I started school, I saw a quote saying, “There is a seat waiting for you at places you haven’t even seen.” This is especially important in college, where everything and everyone is new, where anxieties of not finding your place plague your mind. But because everyone is new, you have the opportunity to find connections that may last a lifetime, even starting from move-in day.
- This is the time to try new things
College opens you to a whole different world that you may have never been exposed to. Embrace the unfamiliarity and keep a curious mind as you navigate the new person you are creating within yourself. Some of your interests will stay the same, and some interests you will discover on your journey in college. Change is what makes us grow.
- It’s okay to not have all the answers to everything
There will be times when you will feel so lost, but that’s okay! This is a time for you to learn; you’re not expected to know everything about life. Whether it be about what you want to do with your career or even handling the independence of being away from the familiar. Give grace to yourself, learn to be comfortable with the unknown and focus on what you do know in the moment while you uncover the uncertainties.
- In the words of Elle Woods: Have faith in yourself
Posted up in my room is this very quote. In college, you learn new things about yourself as you start to work towards becoming the most authentic you. Through this process, the most important piece of advice is to trust that you know yourself best. This is what will get you through the noise of your challenges. Having faith in yourself is crucial in achieving your goals because, at the core of your dreams, is you having to show up for yourself.
With these four pieces of advice, I urge you to look to your next chapter with more excitement than fear when the school year begins. It’s okay to be afraid, it shows that something that’s worth happening is making its way into your life. Not every day of your first year will be the best; some days, the fear and anxieties will get to you. But with this will come the memories that you will remember for years long after college, when you look back and realize everything will always fall into place.