As my first year of college comes to a close, I reflect a lot on the bittersweet moments and how crazy it will be that I am going to be a sophomore. When I first came to DePauw, I didn’t know what to really expect. I didn’t know the really good things and the really bad things that could come out of the first year. I wish I had known a little bit more about what to actually expect in college and not some unrealistic fantasy I made in my mind. I decided to turn to some of my fellow first-years and ask them what they wish they knew before coming to college.
Haley S.—“I wish I knew that I wasn’t going to instantly find my place. It’s so unrealistic to expect the first person I met to be my best friend. Friendships take time to develop.”Mahogany B.—“I wish I knew that there are so many things that I could be a part of, like yoga classes and Curry Fridays.”
Faith S.—“I wish I knew that college isn’t all that it is called out to be. Everyone thinks it’s this beautiful thing where dreams come true, but sometimes it gets really hard just like everything else in life.”
Katherine L.—”I wish I knew I do not need to have everything figured out. I wish I also knew that not everyone goes to bed at the same time; everyone has their own schedule and lives.”
Betsy A.—“I wish I knew how big the party scene was and how much Greek life plays into being social and having a productive social life.”