Let’s be real, adjusting to life at college can be hard. It’s no longer just you in your own space with a ton of familiar faces and family surrounding you. It’s now you, but placed in a new chapter of your life where all your familiarities, favorite places, family, and privacy of course, is no longer accessible at your fingertips. The first few week of my freshman year taught me the easy things, and the not so easy things, to adjust to in order to become resilient through all four years of college.
Adjusting to Closed Corners
Part of being at college is all about sharing, especially your freshman year. You’re placed in a two person shoebox that you basically are supposed to live out of for the eight months of school, so what I’m trying to say is don’t expect too much privacy. The first couple of days were tough when it came to things like changing and showering, but there are tons of tricks I learned in just a few days. For example, crouching down in the shower to reach your caddy without accidently flashing the girl brushing her teeth has now become second nature for me. In terms of changing, it just became maneuvering the order in which you put on your top and bottom while removing your other clothes. It’s not that hard, it’s just not what you’re used to. It’s not your own bedroom or bathroom at home. There are multiple aspects of privacy aside from just having to change with another person barely a foot away from you, but communicating with your roommate is key and knowing my roommate’s schedule was a good tool that helped me to take on other private matters like phone calls, and even studying and mind breaks. Everyone needs some alone time and with the right tools, you can achieve that time even while sharing a space with someone.
The G-Word
When it came to dorming in the residence halls, cleanliness was a huge aspect for me. If your a stage-five germaphobe like myself, you will completely understand how the thought of having to use a communal shower practically gave me a hive or two at first. All I could think about was what I would constantly hear about: hair on the walls, and a shower curtain full of excess shampoo and conditioner. However, my first shower went quite well and shower flip flops, which I highly recommend, were a huge necessity for me that made me comfortable enough to shower and realize it isn’t that bad after all; however, I still say to “keep it quick” nonetheless. Another big thing going into dorming for me personally was getting sick. You’re in such a confined space where it’s bound for germs to spread. Coincidently, I got sick the first week and learned after a trip to the health center that it is in fact very common for every new student to get sick in the beginning. The bottom line is a little Emergen-C gummies can go a long way.
Finding your Group Chat
Of course, coming from such a close knit group of girls in high school, one of my main worries was that I wasn’t going to make friends and find the groups that other girls found when they moved into their colleges. All I could remember the night before move-in day was the feeling of leaving behind my high school years. The truth of the matter is that college is meant for making friends and once my roommate and I warmed up to each other, we basically took on Seton Hall together, meeting the nicest girls on our floor. This put all of my past worries at ease. Sure, it took time, and it’s not easy for some people (like myself) to go up to someone and introduce themselves, but I knew I always had my roommate, and getting involved on campus helped too. I realized that the reality was that opportunities to get involved were right in front of my face, and I had to take them. I joined the Her Campus club, and was happy to be a part of a group of girls that enjoyed the same passion as me: writing. A little down the road, I then got into a sorority where I found myself surrounded by an amazing group of girls and am still so excited to get close to all of them. The bottom line is making friends isn’t always easy, but I realized that in college everyone is in the same boat and it always works out naturally. At the end of the day, you’re surrounded by the people who you are meant to be around.
To sum up the first few weeks of freshman year into one, my advice is to not let your paranoid expectations get in the way of reality because truthfully, it isn’t that bad and no matter where you go, adjusting is a tool in life that will make all of us resilient.