No, I’m not talking about buying an airplane ticket and traveling on a whim. At Susquehanna University, a hashtag and motto of the Office of First-Year Experience is Take Flight. Makes sense, since our mascot is the River Hawks.
I’m just now realizing how perfect this expression sums up college as a new first-year student.
Leaving home, for what is the first time for many, is a daunting task. The large amount of students attending their dream university are residential. This means living on campus and no longer having family across the hallway. Hundreds of seventeen or eighteen-year-old students that barely know how to take care of ourselves or haven’t gone more than a few weeks without parents around, are suddenly faced with this reality. Becoming responsible for getting your meals, getting to class, and doing laundry. Who knew there was a difference between using Tide pods or liquid detergent? Oh My.
It all sounds like a large struggle, but not impossible. With the help of so many resources on campus, and the ability to ask any student, friend, RA, advisors, or faculty questions, transitioning into college life is as pain-free as it could be. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, either. Everyone has been in that same position, and they’ll have the experience or the knowledge to answer it. If not, they are guaranteed to point you in the right direction where you can find the information you are looking for.
You, or even I, will make it. Yes, it is going to take some major adjusting to get used to independent living, but welcome to being an adult. After a few weeks into the fall semester, things will work themselves out and become ritualistic. You will get all settled in, and eventually, love your home for the next four years.
So, if you are in the same boat as I am, just hang in there. Take the leap and take flight into college.