October 10, 2021. The first day I ever visited Pittsburgh. My dad and I drove six hours from my hometown to a hotel on Forbes Avenue. That evening, after dropping off our bags, we decided to explore the campus by ourselves rather than waiting for my scheduled campus tour the following morning. I walked through the quad and could immediately tell they were dorms because of all the LED lights glowing in the windows; I thought Towers were especially cool. We walked towards the center of campus, avoiding the Hillman construction, and came upon what I’d later learn was the Fall Fest. Under the dark night sky, watching Lauv perform, I knew without a doubt that I would apply to Pitt.
It’s been four years since that visit, and my entire life has changed because of this school and this city. With my college experience now halfway through, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on my experiences at Pitt, hoping that this could provide some insight or inspiration to students who are struggling to find their place here.
Friendships
There are so many concerns I could have had about coming to college: hard classes, getting lost, hating the experience altogether … but I was most afraid of being alone. I was moving to a new place where I knew absolutely no one within a 300-mile radius. I’ve had the same friend group since seventh grade, so I was scared that I wouldn’t find new people at Pitt—that I’d lose the ability to make friends. Sure, I’d made plenty of friends in high school, but none had reached that level of “out-of-school” friendship I knew I’d need to be happy at college. I hadn’t even met my roommate in person! But somehow, it all worked out.
Today, that freshman roommate is still my current roommate, along with several other close friends I met during those first few months of college. Looking back, I’m glad I chose a school that was far from home. It pushed me to say yes to new experiences and get comfortable approaching people to make connections. It showed me that I was adaptable to new situations and capable of creating joy in this city all by myself, something I might’ve never found out if I went to my state school with all my hometown friends. Being scared about finding your people is completely normal when you’re moving to a new place, but it definitely gets easier over time. Whether it’s familiar faces on the sidewalk, roommates you get along well with, or lifelong friendships, your people will come.
This is especially true at Pitt because literally everyone is somehow connected. Going into my freshman year, I’d assumed that due to Pitt’s size, I wouldn’t encounter the same people everywhere. But I was wrong. This is definitely a downside sometimes (why is my opp sitting next to me in Cathy right now??), but it’s also a blessing. I’m able to connect with people simply on the basis of knowing someone else, making the campus feel both small and personal. For example, I’ve spoken to my freshman RA more this past week than I probably ever did in the entire year as her resident, and it’s simply because she was at a mutual friend’s birthday party. It’s like I’ve built a little family, one I can call on at any time to explore a neighborhood, study in Hillman, or play Just Dance with in the living room until midnight.
ACademics and organization
It’s easy to be swept away in the idea that college is merely about fun new adventures, but first and foremost, it’s about education. Being at Dietrich, I’ve taken tons of interdisciplinary general education courses and interesting electives for my majors that have been so fascinating! Almost all of my teachers have been kind, attentive, and great leaders of discussion, and the material I’ve read and worked with has truly opened my eyes to a variety of different experiences and theories on the ways of the world. I genuinely feel more educated than I did before college, and that’s something I’ll try to never take for granted.
Coming from a high school with rather rigid graduation requirements, it felt very freeing to take control of my own education during those first couple of semesters. And now that I’m five semesters in, I’ve really nailed down what schedule works best for me—and it’s turned me into a morning person?
Don’t get me wrong, I grumble and mumble and take 20 minutes to get out of my bed every morning. But I’ve learned that I’m most productive with the sun; I’d rather have an 8 a.m. class than anything past 6 p.m. For example, this semester I have a 9:30 a.m. class every day, but I try to reach Hillman by 8:30 a.m. to get some initial work done. Not only does it get my brain alert for my classes, but it leaves me with more free time in the evenings to pursue hobbies and hang out with friends. This schedule isn’t totally feasible every day, but I’m improving each semester by enrolling in classes and organizing my extracurriculars in a way that suits me.
This realization is unfortunately something that just comes with time. Now that I’m a junior, I’m taking classes on topics I’m actually choosing to study, and each semester I get more excited to organize my schedule. The day PeopleSoft opens their catalogue is like a holiday for me. But it was a struggle to find my school-life balance. I’m a humanities major who’s constantly surrounded by STEM people with packed schedules who are working towards med school, specialized graduate programs, etc. Their classes aren’t necessarily harder—it always depends on what type of learning you excel in—but they naturally require more time for the same number of credits as me, not to mention five-hour labs, clinical research, volunteering, and more. My career interests don’t align with those experiences, but I used to compare my schedule to others and think I wasn’t doing enough. However, I’ve realized that personal merit is not based on who can burn themselves out the fastest. I highly value my personal time and creativity, like reading, scrapbooking, baking or exploring the city, so I make sure to prioritize those experiences just as I do with academics. In the long run, it’ll sustain my mental health much better than comparing my academic journey to others.
personal growth – “Adulting”
Living apart from my family for the first time, I also gained “adulting skills.” Wait! Before you come for me, yes, I knew how to do my laundry and clean a bathroom before coming to college. I’m talking about meal-prepping; budgeting for bills, insurance and dining out; researching out-of-state medical care; voting; and the entire renting process. These are things I never had to think about living under my parents’ roof but which are now an integral part of my everyday life. I’m very lucky to have an incredible scholarship that gives me financial stability in a way I never thought possible, so I’m taking every opportunity to learn good financial literacy and build life habits that will sustain me well beyond college. This is an ongoing process, and I’m excited to see what I will learn in my final two years.
Best Experiences
- Getting a corner dorm freshman year with two windows and a walk-in closet
- Backyard Brawl 2024
- Accidentally receiving two Chick-fil-A brownies in my order instead of just one
- Seeing Chappell Roan at Stage AE the day she released “Good Luck Babe”
- Watching cultural TV moments with my friends (Taylor Swift announcing The Tortured Poets Department at the GRAMMYs, Super Bowl LIX, Love Island S6, The Summer I Turned Pretty S3)
Worst Experiences
- The classic friendship-ending fight everyone seems to go through freshman year
- Seeing a cockroach in my campus apartment the first night I moved in
- Trying to find off-campus living
- Every time I have to walk to class in 5° weather
Goals for my Final two years
I really want to explore more of the neighborhoods outside of Oakland. I know Squirrel Hill, Shadyside, Lawrenceville, the Strip District, and South Side pretty well from multiple visits, but I want to make an effort to explore further. For example, Bloomfield, Garfield, North Side—all neighborhoods I need to set aside a day to wander around. I also have access to a car for the first time since moving to Pittsburgh, so I want to explore areas that I can’t reach by bus. Apple picking, the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse, and Red White and Blue Thrift Store are some of my prospective places!
I also want to remind myself (and everyone) to slow down! I’m at the point in my college career where I’m constantly looking towards the future. Some of my friends are taking the MCAT, others are graduating early, so I’m experiencing a lot of finality. I’m already planning for Summer 2026 internships, which are stressful because pre-senior year internships can serve as direct paths to post-grad offers and big career opportunities. It’s only September and yet I’m already having to think about my final year of housing, completing all my credits, and my own graduation. After that the questions only get bigger. Where do I want to live post-grad? What opportunities will get me there? I need to refocus. I don’t need to—and won’t—solve my entire life at 10:45 p.m. on a Tuesday evening. There’s never an end goal in life, only next steps. So, it doesn’t do me any good to spiral about the future when I still have half of my college experience left. The best thing I can do is enjoy the moments I’m having now before they pass me by.
My college experience has been incredibly positive so far, and I’m very grateful because I know it doesn’t always go well for everyone. But because of Pitt and Pittsburgh, I’m more mature and comfortable with who I am. I hope to grow even more in my final two years of college, and I cannot wait to see what will happen next. I wish everyone the best on their college journeys too, whether it’s ending or just beginning.