For those of you who are still trying to find your niche in college, do not worry if you haven’t found somewhere you feel like you belong yet.
The purpose of college is to step outside of your comfort zone and try new things. Testing out different organizations, clubs or friend groups can help connect you with people and resources you never knew you needed.
With this being my third year at Penn State, I feel like I have some personal experiences that have helped guide me towards finding my niche, especially while attending such a big university.
Let’s jump in!
Thanks to COVID-19, my first year of college was mostly spent staring at fellow classmates and my professors through tiny 2 by 2 boxes on my laptop screen.
No, this was not ideal. However, it made it even more crucial to go out and find somewhere I belong, since I did not have the ability to interact with others physically in person.
This started with finding an internship my freshman year of college that lasted for about a year and a half. Through this experience, I made connections with people that I still am able to chat with on a daily basis and work with in future endeavors. Considering the strict boundaries in place for COVID-19 at the time, this really helped build and shape the rest of the semester, as I was able to grow in a collaborative work environment and create really strong friendships.
Getting involved as soon as possible will open doors for you and help your semester flow smoothly and with ease.
Once COVID-19 started to slow down and things turned somewhat normal again, it was like I went to a completely new school. Finally, there were football games!
However, this also meant that we were going out a lot more, seeing more people and actually getting that real “college experience” everyone always describes these four years as.
What even is the real college experience? Does it mean we get sloppy drunk at bars every night and do homework until 2 a.m.? Does it mean we take on new hobbies to understand ourselves better? Does it change how you view your friends to more like family now?
What I am trying to get at is that the college experience is whatever you make it out to be. There is not a rulebook or any guidelines to be followed. This is a time to fully invest in yourself to understand who you are as a person, what makes you happy and who to surround yourself with for the best possible outcomes.
These four years go by like a shooting star. It is so fast that if you blink, you will miss it. Cherish every moment, remember to breathe and to not take things so seriously. You have one shot at this so make it count.
No one else is you, and you are no one else. This is YOUR college experience! Make it yours and create your own happiness everyday!