As crazy as it may seem, the fall semester is almost over and we are quickly approaching spring semester. I don’t know about you, but I feel as though this year is going by super fast, if not too fast. It feels like just yesterday I was a freshman in college buying decor for my new dorm, moving to Kent and meeting my roommate for the first time. Now I am a sophomore in college, and life feels so much different, but in a good way.
Moving to college was a big transition for me, as I am sure a lot of people can relate to. Before college, I had never truly been away from home, so I was super scared and a little excited, for this new adventure in my life. To be completely honest, it did not take me long to get used to the “college life.” One huge difference that I have noticed from now as compared to my freshman year is the home sickness I experienced. When I was a freshman I found it super difficult being away from my family. So many things were going on in my life at the time, that being home was almost a necessity. Even though I know a lot of people enjoy the dorm life, personally, I was not a fan of the dorms, which was a big reason I went home almost every weekend. I missed my bed, home cooked meals and most of all, my family.
Before going into my sophomore year of college, I knew for a fact that I no longer wanted to be in the dorms. Thankfully, the class after me had been over capacity, so my class was then given the opportunity to move off campus. I took this as an opportunity to move to an apartment. I can confidently say that I absolutely love the apartment I am living in now. In fact, I just renewed my lease. I have three roommates who I love, my own bedroom and everything there just feels homey. As mentioned earlier, my freshman year I went home basically every weekend, but since living in my apartment, I have rarely gone home. My sophomore year was when Kent really started to feel like home to me, and it is such a good feeling.
Now, in terms of the workload my sophomore year as compared to my freshman year, it is definitely a lot more. For those who are unaware, my major is Communication Studies. My freshman year classes felt much easier, but I also didn’t have any minors last year. At the end of my freshman year was when I declared my Public Relations minor, and I just started the classes for that minor this semester. So far, I am really enjoying PR, and I can see a real future in this career field. One great thing about Communication Studies is that it is very common for people to double minor and/or double major. Double minoring was something that was always in the back of my mind, but I never knew if I really wanted to do it. After much thinking, I realized that it was something I wanted to do. About a month ago a declared another minor in Theatre Performance and I start classes for that minor, next semester.
Theatre was something that I have been doing since I was in third grade. Before I was a Communication Studies major, I was actually a Theatre Studies major. As much as I love theatre, Theatre Studies did not feel like the right thing for me. Even though that major wasn’t the perfect fit, I knew theatre was something that I didn’t want to completely get out of my life. This is why I am so excited to be starting my new minor. I can enjoy my love for public speaking, while also pursuing my passion for theatre. When I was a freshman I was very unsure of what I wanted to do in my life, but now I have a much better idea of what I may want to do. For example, having a career field of PR in the entertainment industry, like theatre, may be something that I could excel in. There are so many career options available in Communication Studies.
Another big concern for many people coming into college is making friends. While this was something that was difficult for me at first, I truly started to come out of my shell after a couple of weeks. Joining clubs, such as Her Campus, was such a blessing for me and one of the best decisions I have ever made. Here, was where I met people who had similar interests as me, and I also learned what it is like to be a part of a team. The New York City trip I went on over the summer to attend Her Conference, was such an eye opening experience. I met so many new people, and got to build some really deep connections.
I am also a Peer Success Mentor on campus now, and that position gave me the opportunity to make many friends as well, and learn what it is like to be in a leadership role.
While college can be a very scary time, it is also such a great experience that I do not take for granted. My parents always told me that time flies by quick, and I used to never believe them, but it is totally true. The older I get, the more time seems to really creep up on me. Life is an adventure, take it all in while you can.