If you’re like most people, this has been the first ‘normal’ year of school we have had in three years. For someone like me, who transitioned out of high school and into college during the COVID pandemic, I have learned a lot about myself since then. My whole freshman year at UConn took place in the comfort of my bed at home, and sophomore year was filled with anxiety about being on campus and the uncertainty of the future of the pandemic. This year, I felt more ‘in the groove’ when it came to being on campus, and I’ve learned many life (and college) lessons that may help you too!
1. benefits of off-campus living
One of the biggest differences between my freshman/sophomore year and my junior year is my living situation. As I mentioned earlier, I lived at home freshman year and during my sophomore year I lived in the towers dorms at UConn. If you have heard anything about these dorms, you know that they aren’t quite ‘fun’ to live in — closets with no doors, small rooms, and falling ceiling tiles. However, the style, or lack thereof, of the rooms was not what hit me hard about living on campus. I have always been a very independent person, and part of my happiness revolved around being able to go out with friends and go to different places whenever I wanted to. Living on campus without a car felt like this was taken away from me and I began to feel very anxious and trapped. In addition to having to transition into college life (already a year behind) and meet new people, this feeling added to my angst. I often questioned why I came to UConn, and was having trouble going out of my comfort zone.
Most of my doubts went away when I first began living off-campus during my junior year. I felt like I finally had the freedom to go out and do more. Also, I was able to separate my life from campus. Being able to come to campus for classes and work, but then going back to a home where I could relax was a game changer. This change may not be for everyone, but it certainly was for me.
While I had met my current roommates only a few times during my sophomore year, living with them in our house has brought us closer than ever. I feel so comfortable opening up to them now and in conjunction with dealing with some house issues together, they are now some of my best friends. Also, my roommates have taught me not only that it’s okay, but it’s important to try new things. Stepping out of my comfort zone was what they pushed me to do. Some of this involved joining new clubs, going out to various events, and trying new workouts at the Rec. I truly believe that living off-campus this semester has made me feel more excited to come to campus every day and has allowed me to enjoy life at UConn.
2. Take advantage of the rec center
While I did work out a few days a week during my sophomore year, it wasn’t until this year that I realized how valuable UConn’s Recreation Center is. It holds a wide variety of equipment, so I have been able to try new workouts that involve a mix of strength and cardio. My roommate is a big ‘gym rat’ as one would say, so I have been trying to learn new exercises from her that have increased my strength and decreased my gym anxiety. I used to always think that people were judging me for how I would work out, especially in an open gym like Planet Fitness. However, now that I have started to go to the Rec more, I realize that no one is looking at me; we’re all college students there for the same reason! In addition to taking advantage of all the equipment the Rec has to offer, I could not be a bigger supporter of the group fitness classes! When I’m not in the mood to come up with an hour-long workout myself, the fitness classes are my go-to. I highly recommend the spin classes because they give me such a good workout and increase my confidence in the gym. I always thought that I would never be able to complete a spin class, and now I do them 2-3 days a week! If you haven’t yet, please make sure you take advantage of the Rec center.
3. How i best deal with stress
I’m sure that stress is one thing every college student can relate to. With that, everyone has their own unique ways of dealing with stress. This year, I started a new major, which was stressful to say the least, but it has also helped me find out what ways I best deal with stress. One of the best ways is through “me time”; I realized that when I take time for myself and do something that makes me happy (whether it be coloring, watching sports, or cooking), I feel rejuvenated. Not focusing on school all the time is a huge lesson I had to learn. I’ve always put pressure on myself to do well in school and while it is important, it shouldn’t consume you. By taking this “me time”, I actually find that I do better in my classes; I am excited to go to class and have that feeling of accomplishment when I complete my work.
Another way I learned to manage my stress was going out to various events. I am not at all a party person, but going out with my friends once in a while makes me happy! I’m not so focused on one particular thing and so I am able to laugh and relax! Lastly, visiting home during the weekends was huge for decreasing my stress level. Home is the one place I feel the most comfortable and where I am surrounded by the most love. Going home every other weekend helped my stress as I was able to separate myself from my normal school routine and go back to hang out with the ones I love. After looking at all the ways I have learned to deal with stress, they have one common denominator: it’s okay to not always focus on school! Take the time you need to do the things you love, go out with your college buddies while you’re able to, and take a few weekends to go back home if you can!
4. I love my major
This year, my major transitioned from allied health sciences to the more concentrated diagnostic genetic sciences program. If there is one thing I learned my junior year, it’s that I love my major. Don’t get me wrong, I struggled at first to grasp all the material and figure out the best study methods. As the months went by, I felt better about my study techniques, started to do better on assignments, and was relaxed enough to start enjoying all the material! Genetics and cancer, immunology, and molecular diagnostics may not sound like fun classes to many people, but I really feel like I landed in the right place! I am at a point in my college career where I feel like I am thriving, and I can’t wait to see what I end up doing with my major.
I am going to leave you with this: I have learned so much about myself during my junior year of college here at UConn and it all stems from taking little steps out of my comfort zone, taking “me time,” and loving my major. Some of my ways to handle stress may not be best for you, but please try to figure out what is. I know college is tough, but learning how to decrease my stress and anxiety has really allowed me to feel more confident and comfortable here at UConn.