So I’m about three years into my college experience and I’ve been able to think a lot about being in a four-year university anywhere, whether that’s in my lecture hall, off campus, or even in my own bedroom.
It’s not usual to not reflect on college life at any point in the four to six years most undergraduates attend, but it’s another to be reflecting as a commuter still living at home. I actually didn’t know a lot about what it’d be like nor did I take advantage of the advice I got going into my first couple years.
1. Mixed College Life
As a student from a commuter university, I didn’t make a lot of friends during my first couple years, nor was I used to spending time on campus 24/7. So I actually had anxieties about belonging on campus. What I didn’t take advantage of was engaging with social life on campus instead of staying at home, scrolling through my cell phone photos like I was used to.
As a freshman, I had never heard of HerCampus, and I certainly had come with little exposure to anything of interest. In fact, I only learned of it through social media and just wanted some place to be able to do some writing.
Probably the only thing I got out of it was some experience and a few relationships, but nothing too big other than meeting some casual friends and getting to know my fellow writers. The only events I did that ended up piquing my interest was the team bondings, which are still my favorites to this day, that we occasionally had. Outside of that, I had actually never joined any events, nor did I get involved in my first year overall.
As a sophomore, it was a little bit better, especially now I was used to hanging out more often around the area. I actually started to get more involved in chatting with people on campus, as well as I joined a club on campus that was for Christians. I was also involved in this community for some time, but had never actually interacted until about the time I started attending classes.
What changed was the fact I was genuinely interested in getting to know people. I loved that it was one where I could come and go, but also get in touch with my own faith with other college students through group time and especially our outdoor activities (yay, camping trip).
It’s funny to think that college was a larger world, especially when I came from such a small place. And it is, but only when learning to understand just how going in as a commuter can also be a unique experience.
2. Sleep is the New Normal
Especially now as a junior student, I’ve learned that sleeping earlier, especially before midnight is more important. From buying meals to making sure my task list is down, to having strategies for combatting burnout, the number one priority for staying on top is getting good sleep.
If I have a day off from class, sleep. Some time to be able to recharge or take time off from being with friends or homework? Sleep! Everything about college routine is about getting batteries recharged as a habit. Days often felt stressful, and having to turn in coursework on a weekly basis often left me burned out or wanting to crash out when I didn’t have class.
3. Academic Strategy Feels Like Chess
I did not do well in my first semester at SJSU. In fact, I was pretty much burned out and I hated having to go to classes. When I came in with my first report, I was entirely exhausted and almost contemplated dropping. The next semester however, I decided to play more picky with my classes, whether that was picking a class that piqued my interest, getting a recommendation, or just plain enrolling in classes earlier rather than later.
Believe it or not, this worked for me as I was able to come back with stellar grades and a much higher morale overall. All because I had planned ahead and decided how I was going to chart out my course load. My idea for this was to have a Google Doc of a semesterly plan whether that was keeping track of units, coursework,
I’ve kept this going into sophomore year, and while I did make some changes as I’ve met more people and even gotten invested into social activities, the overall strategy remains the same. Looking back on it, halfway through, it makes sense as a habit of keeping ahead of schedule.
Especially if you’re a professional procrastinator, it’s ideal to work, but also don’t focus too much on trying to just complete deadlines. And to be candid, having the same strategy for the last two years is a lifesaver.
4. The Joys of Meeting New People
I’m an extrovert, that’s for one. But I also really do a terrible job at being genuinely connected in real time. Ironic, isn’t it? Whether it’s because of shyness, being on my cell phone, or just general disinterest, I rarely made friends. However, one thing I learned from college was having to find the right crowd.
As many of you may expect, college is full of many environments and while it can be educational for some, it can be just as social and public for others. That also means meeting new people can come with its perks and its downsides.
I often ended up having friendships that would last only a few weeks at the smallest or even a few months at most. That was mostly due to constraints and also meeting people that were in some toxic groups (especially clubs that weren’t tabling on 7th Street or would approach out of nowhere).
But an upside of this was that as an older student, it gave me insights into what kind of people I would be around. Whether it was because of interests, personalities, or even liking the same things, it gave me a newfound discernment into what kind of peers I would be around.
For example, maybe I found someone that was big into boba and we like to go out to a nearby boba shop together to converse. Maybe there was someone who liked to be active and I want to also get involved in their interests because they’re passionate about a certain sport or hobby.
It’s funny to think that in a world that’s as large as college, there’s thousands of students that may share something in common with me or even you. It might as well change how you think about meeting people.
So what would I say that I’ve learned? As I’ve reiterated, college is a huge salad bowl. College life can feel like coming into your own on your own choice.
So whether you’re a new freshman, a returning student, or a transfer, there’s a lot of surprises that you might learn over the course of your studies.
What are some of your college experiences like? Let us know @HerCampusSJSU!