What the First Week of College is Actually Like

    Everyone says that college is the best time of your life, but leading up to move-in day, all I could think about was how upset I was going to be, or how hard it was going to be to leave my pets and my family behind. My mind was filled with anxieties and “what ifs,”  when constantly thinking about the possible mishaps of moving into school. Saying goodbye to my best friends was so hard and anxiety-provoking, so much so that I couldn’t get excited about starting a new chapter of my life. What if my roommates hate me? What would happen if I couldn’t make friends? What if I didn’t like my school? These questions were bricks hanging over my head; they sat heavy and ever-present until it came. August 31st: Move-in day. 

    I finally set up my room, said goodbye to my parents, and hello to my new roommates. We all got along so quickly and my worries faded. We left the door to our room open a lot; attracting many people to our spiral staircase. Our school also had a “First Night” where we met so many other friends while exploring the school’s clubs and eating free food. Although, the bricks hung over my head once again at the thought of classes starting; it was really stressing me out. What if the workload is too much? What if the material is too hard? What if I don’t like my professors or they don’t like me? I got through the first day and realized it wasn’t bad at all. I actually really like my classes and my professors. 

Then, Saturday came and it was the first home football game. My friends and I were all dressed up with our “Rhody” gear, ready to head over to the field. We got to the game and the football team came running out and the stands blew up! At this moment surrounded by my friends and seeing my school with so much Rhody pride, I knew that my future here would be a good one.

The rest of the week went by quickly and blew my expectations out of the water. I met so many great people who distracted me from the stress of leaving home. I am now comfortable at school and have a great group of friends and roommates. I am so excited to continue this journey and have the time of my life. So, what is the first week of college actually like? it’s pretty great, and a lot less stressful than you would think. 

• college
• freshman