As the 2022 fall semester quickly approaches its end, I can’t help but reflect on my growth since move-in. Throughout these past few months, I have learned so much about myself in so many different ways. Here are some of the major lessons I’ve learned from my first semester in college.
1. College is the time for opportunities
One of the scariest (and also fun) parts of college is meeting new people. When I headed into college, a friend of mine told me to “just say yes” when people invite you to do something. If someone asks you if you want to go explore the quad, say yes! If a group invites you to go out for lunch, go to a football game or join an RSO, say yes. College is an opportunity to try new things and have new experiences. So, if you’re presented with an opportunity that you are even slightly interested in, say yes. However, that doesn’t mean saying yes to everything. If something doesn’t interest you at all or you simply do not want to participate in it, don’t. In essence, say yes to things even a slight part of you wants to try. You’ll meet new people and learn more about yourself.
2. College is Hard
You’re moving somewhere new, living in a new area (and with a new person), adjusting to college coursework, and overall, existing differently than you have before. Some days will be amazing but there will be days and moments that are harder than others. I wish I could say that after a few months there are only easy days, but I still have difficult days and I get through them. College is and will be hard, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do it.
3. College creates Memories
After almost a semester here, I have made so many memories that I know will stick with me forever. I have met friends I adore, experienced so many things for the first time and I’ve been able to learn more about myself. Just thinking about it makes me smile. I’ll always remember petting a snake on the quad my first day here, skipping down the streets of Champaign with my friends at night, sitting on the quad and chatting, meeting a ferret, staying up watching scary movies until 3am and so much more. I know that in the future, I’ll think back on my first semester and remember it fondly because it was a period of learning and experiencing.
These are just some of the lessons I’ve learned throughout my first semester. I’m sure that when I look back on this at the end of my college career, or even next semester, or next week, I will have learned even more. There is only so much I can say about the learning that happens from going to college because everyone has a different experience. I implore you to think about who you were at the beginning of college, who you are now and what you’ve learned. It can be really rewarding to acknowledge your growth.