With school coming to an end and the stress of finals looming over me, I have not yet taken the time to sit and reflect on my first year of college. Small memories of the past few months tend to pop into my head randomly, but I like to think about the bigger picture and what has impacted me. The one thing I truly know is that I am not the same person I was when I first stepped foot in my college dorm room. Soon after this moment, there was a plethora of new experiences I had to figure out and get used to.
After contemplating the aspects of college that shook me the most and made me leave my comfort zone, three main points stood out to me. I found that doing things by myself, managing my time and knowing when to take a break were the things I most came to appreciate and learning these allowed me to flourish during stressful months and new experiences.
1. Doing Things By Myself
The one thing I feared most when coming to college was doing things by myself. I never had to eat by myself, and whenever I went out, I usually had someone with me. It took time to get used to, but everyone is in the same boat. My daily schedule never really lined up with my friends, but I learned that this was the best time for alone time. I felt that the times I wanted to be alone were when I could not. My roommate (and best friend) would be in the room, and to be alone, I had to go somewhere else. Whether it be in the dining hall or the library, being alone allowed me to just be with myself and be comfortable with my thoughts.
As this was one of the most difficult things to overcome for me, I found it beneficial to eat out or go out by myself once or twice a week. This allowed me to build up my confidence and easily be out and about alone.
2. Managing My Time
After my second semester of senior year, where I did the absolute bare minimum of schoolwork and waited for summer, I was not prepared for college. I did not know what to do with my free time, and studying or getting ahead on my homework was not one of my priorities. I only began to master managing my time in the second semester, and it really came down to forcing myself to do what I needed to do. Getting up early and starting the day while using my time wisely made all the difference. I am glad I have set this routine in motion so early on in college and have the ability to carry it over to my following years as a student.
The main hack I found to be most advantageous is going to the library between classes. Although I do not do this everyday, when I do, I am extremely productive. I end up not sitting in my room laying in bed and procrastinating on my schoolwork. Downloading Google Calendar and physically seeing my day and my tasks allowed me to stay on top of everything.
3. Knowing When to Take a Break
I learned early on that there is a multitude of schoolwork between the many classes I take, and it is easy to get overwhelmed. I wanted to be involved in the school community, too, so I had to balance everything. Considering both of these things, I also needed time for myself. For me, this means reading, hanging out with friends or just taking a relaxing nap. When I become stressed and feel like I cannot work anymore, I know I need a break. Trying to persevere through long days of classes, schoolwork and extracurriculars only wears me out more and could possibly lead to a full-on breakdown. Whether I take a short or long break, I can recharge and work more efficiently later.
My first year of college brought me so many experiences and new ways of being, and I am so glad to have been able to learn from the past few months. Of course, there will always be challenges and more to work on, but this year gave me the opportunity to build the foundation for my following three years.