If there was one word to describe my first semester at CU Boulder, it would be amplified. I know that’s an unexpected descriptor, and you were probably expecting something like ‘draining’ or ‘eye-opening’, but although the past several months have been both of those things, through it all I have felt amplified. By that I mean every emotion I used to feel back at home, I feel now but ten times as strong. When I’m happy, the happiness I feel surpasses anything I might have felt on the day-to-day at home. When I’m overwhelmed, it will feel like the most overwhelmed I have ever been.
What is important to note, is that there was no polarization of emotions. I still felt the same ratios of stress, happiness, and sadness (although admittedly I have been very happy this past semester and so have felt very optimistic and light-hearted on most days here). Although I am very happy here, I acknowledge that the first semester has been a learning experience, where trial and error is used copiously to figure out how to actually be successful in college with all the new routines imposed in my life.
One of those routines for me was spending a lot more time with people than I would back at home. I have always been an extroverted person, and I would prefer to sit in silence with someone else in the room rather than be alone any day. This may be one of the reasons why I have enjoyed my time at CU so much. Because living in on-campus dorms is mandatory your freshman year, you spend virtually no time alone. Whether you’re in your room or going to shower, or trying to study, odds are someone else from your floor will be doing the same thing too.
With that being said, having no solitary time was one of the more difficult parts of the first semester. By the time November rolled around, I realized just how emotionally drained I had become, and having a secluded place to go and decompress became increasingly critical to my mental health. Unfortunately, there was no place like that for me. Luckily, I was able to form a strong group of friends who were able to support me during that time. But let’s just say, there were nights when the bathroom stall was my best friend.
You will realize how important it is to call your friends and family whenever you need someone to talk to, and that sometimes ordering yourself dinner instead of going to the dining hall can completely turn your day around. Slowly, you will learn the little things that keep you afloat. For me, it’s movie nights with my friends on their projector or decorating my dorm for the holidays. Small things like that can go a long way.
Although everyone’s experience prior to college is different, I find that my high school prepared me pretty well for the amount of work I would be getting in college. However, while it seems manageable on a day-to-day basis, the tiredness accumulates. You won’t start to feel how drained you are until months into the semester, so be prepared. When you first start to realize just how tired you are, and how ready you are to go back home to your own room and bed, don’t freak out. It happens to everyone and odds are many of your peers feel the same way. That is the time when you need to start putting effort into focusing on yourself. Watch a movie, go on a hike, or do some sort of makeshift spa day with your friends. I promise it will help.
Even though the months making up the first semester are difficult, there will be a lot of ‘first times.’ Those firsts are what make the semester so exciting. There will never be a time like this in your life again. Even though there are highs and lows, at the end of the day you’re living in a ‘resort’ surrounded by people your own age, and no parents. I’m excited to no longer be a ‘first-semester-freshman’, but admittedly, I think I am going to miss it just a little bit.