College is a big adjustment for everyone, and the idea of leaving home can be pretty daunting. I went from a tiny private school of 200 students total (17 in my grade) to a university with about 7,000 enrolled students. These are the 5 things I learned in my first semester of college.
The first couple weeks are horrible
This may not seem like an optimistic discovery, but in my first couple weeks away from home I was miserable. I cried to my mom every night wanting to go home. It was like my first time going to sleep-away camp when I was 8. Everything was different, and I thought that it would never get better. Spoiler alert: it does in fact get better.
Bad grades happen
College is completely different from high school, and so are the classes. It can be hard to remember that a bad grade in college doesn’t mean you’re a bad student, and it certainly won’t affect your overall grade too bad. Your grades don’t define your intelligence. A bad grade can happen for a lot more reasons than just not knowing the material. Sometimes a bad grade can mean you didn’t sleep enough the night before, remember to be kind to yourself.
Friends from high school don’t always stick around
I came to college with my best friend from high school, and now, at the end of the semester, we barely talk. College is a time to find yourself, and a time to branch out and discover new interests you didn’t think about in high school. You meet people who are interested in the same things as you, and who want similar things for the future. I met my platonic soulmate in college, and now I can’t image a world without her.
No one is rooting against you
This is something that was especially hard to remember in the beginning. I remember feeling so defeated the first month of school because I was succeeding like I did in high school. Once I started utilizing the resources offered to me, then I started to do better and saw the team of people wanting me to succeed. Your professors want you to do well, as do your advisors and your friends do to. It can be hard to realize, but you do have an army of people excited for you to live your passion.
College is a place to grow
I heard about this when I was going into college. A lot of people would tell me that I would change and grow into the person I’m going to be for the rest of my life. I figured this would happen over the course of four years, but I didn’t realize how quick it would happen. Over the course of one semester, I do feel like I’ve grown into a better version of myself.
The experiences I’ve had at college are ones that I would never exchange. I met people that I can’t imagine a life without, and I’ve become a generally better version of myself. College is great, and I’m excited to see what it has in store for me. Good luck to all of you in your sweet, sweet adventure of life.
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