From moving out of my dorm within the first week, unfriending my best friend, to even totaling my car freshman year did not start off at all like I thought it would. Even with Covid putting a dampener on normal freshman activities, my first year as a college student was definitely unexpected. However, through this all, I managed to learn some of the most important lessons that I will be carrying on with me and made my freshman year worth it.
- Most things in life only last for a moment
When pushing through a mental hurdle, it’s important to recognize that where you are at and how you are feeling are only temporary in the long scheme of things. The pain of hurt won’t last forever, so it’s best to remind yourself that this is only a moment of your whole life and therefore while it might feel that the world has fallen apart at the moment it isn’t forever. This rule can even be applied to pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, if you’re scared to put yourself out there remind yourself that even the worst outcome will only last for a short period of time until you are back to your normal life.
- Take some time to get back to your roots
When High School came about, I stopped putting my efforts into the activities and hobbies that defined my childhood. I grew up spending lots of time away from the computer screen and creating arts and crafts, but when high school came about, I became embarrassed of the very activity I loved. This embarrassment followed me into college until I was in my own dorm room after moving out with few friends and no one to spend my weekends with. Her Campus helped me get back into painting with an activity planned to paint. By spending my free time painting now, I am able to tap back into the good parts of my childhood and provide myself with self-care time.
- Friendships take time and effort
Not every person you met in college is going to be your friend, even if they are nice and you hit it off. School before college teaches you to make friends based on convenience and therefore the need for people to actually go out of their way and make effort is slim. When you get to college, you will find this to be no different with large amounts of people having the same attitude. You can go to dinner and have a fun time with people, but the reality is even if you set things up to hang out again, you won’t become good friends if the efforts aren’t matched. The friends you find however that do match your energy and effort will be worth it so don’t give up and have a little faith. I have met some wonderful people so far in college but the people I have actually made friends with, have given me some great memories so far!