I am currently in the second semester of my junior year at Lasell University. I started my college journey in the past, applying early to schools in 2019, and being accepted at the beginning of the year 2020. While there have been so many crazy experiences I never could have imagined due to COVID, and other circumstances, I would do a lot of things differently.
The biggest difference I could see myself doing is the university itself. If I could go through it all again, I would apply and look into a lot more schools, without the limitations of needing a fashion design program. I do like my school, it’s a good size, and has good course offerings, but there are a lot of negatives that I cannot ignore. When I see on social media college students using a gym facility bigger than the Hyannis, Planet Fitness, or eating at ONE of their dining hall options later than 8 pm. It does make me feel like I missed out on a better school experience when I see the facilities bigger universities offer, but I made my bed so I lie in it, and have learned to love some things about the school to focus on instead.
If I were to start at Lasell all over again, my first big change would be my major. I applied to schools expecting to major in fashion design, which I did for two whole years of college, until I finally acted upon my feelings, and switched majors. I absolutely hated what I was doing, I did not like anything about what I was to expect after college, and I kept thinking about how I was paying so much money to just be so unhappy with what I was doing. Now I am happily majoring in Education Curriculum and Instruction, but I wish I was in the program from the beginning so I wasn’t so behind and overwhelmed. What they tell us is true though, it is better late than never, and now I am on a track that makes me academically pleased, and professionally fulfilled, and happy.
The next biggest change I would make in my college experience would be to have a single dorm room from the beginning. I went into college with big starry-eyed hopes of getting a roommate and becoming besties, just like in the movies and tv shows. Obviously, from the tone in my head, while I’m writing this, it did not happen. My first semester was full of awkward silence, disrespect, avoidance, demands, and everything but friendship. I ended up moving out of that situation into my own dorm, and I have never gone back. Even my partner said to me he didn’t know why I went with a random roommate, and he was extremely glad for me when I got out of that situation and into my own space. I definitely noticed a positive change in my mental health when I made the switch, and there was a positive upswing in my productivity as well. Now that I had my complete own space to use up, there was no imposition and no uncomfortable tension in the air.
Despite wanting to change so much about my choices with college, I do believe I am where I am meant to be, otherwise, I wouldn’t be here. Maybe I could have had a better experience, maybe, but I cannot go back and change the choices I made. My goal now is to focus on what I have control of, which is my school work, and my professional work, and now I’m just going through the motions of showing up and doing the work that’s necessary for me to graduate.