To be completely honest, my first semester at St. Bonaventure University was not an ideal college experience. I was miserable for the majority of my time here. I’ve only been back to school for a week and a half, but it has already been 10 times better. I am actually excited to be back at school for this semester.
The first thing about this semester that has improved my attitude is my new roommate. My first-semester roommate and I just did not click, which is bound to happen sometimes. My new roommate and I have been getting along very well so far. We have very similar personalities and lifestyles. I have been much happier since making this change.
Familiarity has also lifted my mood. Spending three months on this campus, finding lots of different places to study, eat or hang out helped me feel more comfortable here. As I walk through the campus now, through the slush and snow, I don’t feel so out of place and like I am a stranger on this campus. I’ve also become more familiar with the towns surrounding the campus. When I first arrived, I didn’t think there was much to do off-campus. But now that I’ve been here for a while, I’ve found a lot of fun things to do. There is a movie theater, bowling alley, drive-in theater, great restaurants and places to go shopping. Getting off-campus for a change of scenery has definitely helped me stay more positive.
With an entire semester under my belt, I’ve been able to meet a lot of new people and solidify an amazing friend group. Not only do I have a built-in friend in my roommate, but I also have friends from my first semester classes I have strengthened my relationships with. Having a good group of friends can make or break your college experience. I’ve been so lucky to find an incredible group of girls that will always have my back and support me in almost anything.
I’m also looking forward to my new classes. This semester I got to choose almost all my classes on my own. It was so exciting to look through the classes offered here and get to choose what I was interested in. Along with new classes comes new people to meet and new friends to make. I am so excited to learn the new content and make new connections.
Another great thing about this semester is the experience I gained from the first semester. After writing for Her Campus and a newspaper outlet a few towns over, I have learned a lot of important things and received a lot of good feedback that will help me in the future. I feel a lot more prepared for more intensive internships or jobs because of the exposure to real-life instances.
The teachers I grew close to last semester will be assets to me this semester. I was able to maintain close relationships with a lot of my professors and still talk to them now. Having them to rely on for support and guidance is such a comforting feeling that I think will be important to me this semester and in the future.
With all these things working in my favor, I am so excited not only for the rest of this semester but for next year as well. I still love being at home and spending time with my family, but I am finally content with being at college.