“These are our years.”
“College was the best years of my life.”
“Go out and have your fun now.”
“Travel.”
All things we have been told when transitioning from high school to college or just when talking about college in general. “You’re young, go have your fun.” If only it was that easy right? At 18, we are expected to pick a career path and go out into the world on our own. The beginning of the next chapter in our lives. Although this is so exciting, there is a lot of pressure that comes with it. How am I supposed to go from high school football games and being with all the people I’ve known since practically the womb, to moving to a whole new city and starting from scratch. Kind of a crazy concept if you ask me. Then there’s everyone giving you advice that is often contradicting. Like those same few lines, “College was all my favorite memories,” and “Go out, have fun, live your best life.” But then there is the expectation to do amazing in school and have all these extra circulars, get a job, find a good internship. Trying to balance out the two can be so tricky. Sometimes you jeopardize doing homework to go out which causes extra stress, or jeopardize going out to stay in and have a night for yourself and do homework, but even this can lead to feeling lame and like you’re not living life to the fullest. Â
Its super important to remember:
- Everyone is being told the same things and most likely are, or have, felt this way.
Balance is important but it is easy to feel like you’re not doing enough. Trust me, transitions are hard for everyone and we are all trying to find a balance.
- Social media is just a highlight reel! People only post the best and most memorable moments. When seeing posts of nights out it’s easy to get “FOMO” but just remember not everything you see is real and it does no good to compare. 9 times out of 10 that person is also struggling with balancing and tonight they chose to go out and post about it.Â
- It’s okay to stay in but also go out and have fun. The less pressure you put on going out and having fun the better it will be. If you put expectations on a night out they most likely won’t be met. Just have a good time, it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. It just matters that you’re having a good time.
College is a crazy transition but what’s even crazier is we are starting the rest of our lives while also living and experiencing things we will forever talk about.
Tips:
- Find a study buddy! Staying in with a friend allows that feeling of “fomo” to feel less heavy. Having that support and reminder that other people are prioritizing the same things as you right now is both comforting and reassuring.
- Create a schedule for yourself. Pick the nights you are going to go out and the ones you plan to stay in. Then you can plan your week accordingly and have less stress.
- Don’t compare and don’t worry about others. Be yourself if you are happy with where you’re at, that’s all that matters. Don’t let others dictate your choices just do you.
