As quarantine has kept most of us sitting inside all day with not much to do, it has definitely given me time to reflect on the past three fourths of my freshman year.
College was, without any doubt, an adjustment.
Luckily, I am going to tell you what you can expect from the unexpected!
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You might go broke – FAST.
I came to college with a solid amount of money, expecting it to last me at least through the first semester. So, you could imagine my dismay when my card was getting declined at Target by the end of my first month at school. The reason I was down 600 bucks in 30 days is simple: Uber. At a city school like UT, it seems a lot more appealing to Uber two minutes to your destination rather than walking for 20. A hard lesson I learned my first semester at college is that every two minute ride is another ten bucks that you’re spending. Skip the overpriced car service and get some exercise!
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Seeing a familiar face is comforting.
I left high-school with the intention of wanting to be as far away from home as possible; I wanted to start fresh. So, being from Pennsylvania, I thought it would be best to travel all of the way down to Florida where I knew absolutely no one. What I quickly realized, though, is that not knowing a single person at your school and in your city can be a little overwhelming at times. I would sometimes find myself walking around campus, secretly craving to randomly bump into a friend from home who I could catch up with. Moral of the story: if you’re someone who misses your friends hard when you’re not with them, it can be hard to adjust to those first few months without them.
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You MUST get out of your comfort zone to make friends.
My five roommates and I stuck together for the first three weeks of the semester. Even though there wasn’t any bad blood between us, we slowly realized that we weren’t all necessarily going to be BFFs. That left me, halfway into the semester, attempting to make friends once it seemed as though everyone had already found their people. I would not have made the friends that I have today without pushing myself to ask that person to get lunch or to introduce myself to that stranger. Don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone- it can do amazing things for you!