My visitor just left. Having my younger cousin here, a high school senior applying to college, was truly an experience I will never forget. Being able to show her the college that I call home, allowed me to show Tulane University through the eyes of a resident. Me. I live here. It seems like it was just yesterday that I was a prospective student walking through campus and imagining myself here. I was so proud to show my cousin where I take my classes, study for tests, work out, and where I eat many of my amazing meals in the new Commons. I am so proud to call Tulane my home, however it’s important for everyone to remember that you never fully reach the end zone as each day in college is a new challenge.
For so many high school seniors, right now is a time of anxiety and hope. They are applying and waiting to see where they will be accepted, waitlisted, or flat out rejected. Many times we can’t figure out why “he got into Harvard but was rejected from where?” The truth is, even after we decide what college we will be attending, as sophomores, juniors and even seniors, we are still trying to figure things out. So many of us are still trying to decide on a major, as we continue to struggle with studying and doing work. We forget to do laundry and we forget to call home.
Last year I wrote an article on how to adjust to freshman year. The truth is, I am still adjusting. I think we all are. We are all in this together and we have to learn how to roll with the punches. Some days will be great, and some will suck. Sorry, just keeping it real. We are not always going to get the grade we thought we deserved simply because we thought we studied enough. We are not going to love every professor. We will have a disagreement with a friend.
There is an article in the October 1, 2019 New Yorker Magazine titled “The Rise of the “Getting Real” Post On Instagram” by Carrie Battan. Celebrities and influencers are shifting their posts to show more and more of life’s messiness. “People feel compelled to do what they observe others doing.” Social media has resulted in so many of today’s youth’s complete lack of coping skills. But if we remember for a minute that everyone at times feels similar, maybe we would not feel alone. No-one is as happy as the Instagram or Snapchat posts they share. I, for one, would not post what I looked like after last week’s business analytics test but maybe next time I will. For every incoming student, as well as every current student, every day is a new day and we are all still trying to figure it out.