As my first semester begins to wind down, I’ve been doing a lot of reflection. College was both what I expected and what I didn’t expect. I’ve made a ton of memories, good and bad, but mostly good. I figured what better way to describe college, my expectations and my realities, than through my favorite tv show to have on in the background while grinding or just lounging, Friends.
Roommates
We like to think our first college roommate is going to turn out to be the Joey to our Chandler, and for some that’s true. For me, things turned out a little bit differently, I had a random room assignment, and while were not best buddies, it has not been the horror show a lot of people assume it would be. In fact, sometimes it’s nice to have that distinction between roommate and friend, it’s like a separation of church and state. While living with a stranger can definitely be intimidating, you get used to it. Sometimes you’ll be meeting your best friend, others it’s just another friendly face.
Friends
Oof, making friends is hard, at least it was for me in the beginning. If you come from a small town like I do, everyones known everyone since forever, kind of like a Stars Hollow situation (another TV show reference, sorry). When that’s the case, you forget what it’s like making new friends, you really have to work for it. It turns out the same goes for old friendships, you have to put the time in once and a while to really make them last. Connecting with new people doesn’t come easily for everyone, but if you keep an open mind it will happen, and whether you have a small group like in Friends or are part of many groups, it feels great to be part of something.
Work
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but all that “reading” people say you get in college is real and it really does suck. I like to say that I was a pretty above average student in high school, that led me to believe that college would be challenging, but it wouldn’t be too different from the workload I was use too. Boy was I wrong. The start of my first semester was rocky, but I quickly realized I took on a lot for a first semester freshman. And while there is a lot of work in college, a lot of the time you’re learning about things you actually care about, and that’s what makes the work better than before. So remember to do your reading kids.
Social Life
College is all about time management, so if you like to procrastinate like I do…don’t, it’ll cramp your social life. When you get to campus, everything is new and exciting and you’ll want to try it all, there’s nothing wrong with that. When you’re not sitting in lecture pretending to listen (kidding kidding) spend your free time wisely, do things you love, things outside of your comfort zone, and things you need like self-care. At the end of the day, how you spend your weekends is completely up to the individual, but just make sure to plan accordingly because in college you WILL have weekends.
My first semester of college was not perfect, but it’s also not one I’d think to change. Sometimes you might accidentally put beef in the trifle, but when you’re in your first semester, it’s never too late to fix it (metaphorically speaking ofc). And I’ve learned and experienced so much in a few months, that it really does seem like time is flying by, you have to enjoy it. College is all about putting in the work and having fun, so find your Joey, Phoebe, Monica, Ross, Rachel and/or Chandler and do it.