In April 2024, I made one of the most important decisions of my life: where to go to college. I chose the University of Connecticut due to its strong academics, athletics, school spirit, and never-ending opportunities. Move-in day didn’t feel like real life. My friends and I had always discussed the day we all moved into different colleges away from each other and laughed as if that would never be a reality. I had long dreaded it because I was leaving a part of myself behind, a part that I would never get back. After being here at college, away from my family and friends, for almost an entire academic year now, I can admit the transition was unlike anything I have ever experienced before, but I have overcome and eventually embraced it.
You can be whoever you want
College is a fresh start, whether you like it or not. For some, this is what they have been waiting for, and for others, this is the worst. This is a time in your life when you are constantly meeting new people (especially the first week), and people use this as an opportunity to change certain aspects about themselves they wish people from high school forgot about. When I first got to college, I took this as an opportunity to show my true personality to every person I met, I wasn’t going to change who I was just because I was in a different place. College is a unique experience where people from all places and backgrounds come together to a common ground. This allows for a really exciting and interesting event when meeting someone for the first time.
Homesickness is real
First and foremost, being homesick is a very real phenomenon, especially for out-of-state students who are miles away from their support systems. My first semester was an anomaly as I did not experience homesickness at all. I couldn’t complain; I had met great friends and peers my first semester, as well as an incredible rooming situation. My second semester was a whole different story. Immediately as I arrived back on campus, I missed my friends and family from home. I felt trapped on this campus without a car, and the miserable weather only increased my desire to go home. I started seriously thinking about joining a sorority, and finally, I pulled the plug. This was something I never thought I would do, but I am so glad I decided to. Joining a sorority not only gave me a bunch of new friends, but it almost single-handedly cured my homesickness by connecting me to out-of-state students who felt the same way as me. This is not to say that you must join Greek life if you are feeling down, however, I do recommend joining clubs, sports, or other things that connect you with new people. And for days where you really are feeling it, just try to leave your dorm; I promise it helps.
Change is inevitable
Change: the enemy of all enemies for some. Growing up in a small town and being involved in sports from a very early age, I met and got to know my friends as early as preschool. We had all solidified our friend group when we joined the same soccer team together in third grade, so needless to say, my friends and I have been together for a long time. We all have a bond like no other, and going to separate colleges would test that bond. As I stated before, I was scared to go to college for many reasons, but the main one was that I knew those moments of my friends and I hanging out as kids were now a distant memory. I was truly scared that we would all get to college and immediately make new, and better, friends, therefore not being as close as we once were. My worst fears did not come true, as we still spoke to each other when we moved in, however, those texts did become few and far between. I longed for the days when we saw each other in school every day, and the longest time we were apart was when one of us went on vacation. Truth be told, this is something I am still grappling with, as change is inevitable, but it is also incredibly scary. I honestly am not sure what will happen between us over the next four years, but I know that those memories we have together will never be erased.
College is a time for independence, self-reflection, and, for some, longing. As my freshman year of college comes to a close, I am so grateful for the people I have met here, and I can’t wait for the memories we will make in the future. College is an exciting, yet terrifying transition, and there is no doubt that it is definitely what you make of it.