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4 Important Things To Learn When You Are On Your Own For The First Time In College

Going to college comes with a new sense of independence, that we must navigate as we go.

Danielle Wagner

May 11, 2020

Bowling Green State University

123

4 Important Things To Learn When You Are On Your Own For The First Time In College

Danielle Wagner

If you're anything like me, you don't like being alone. Maybe you're an extrovert, or you just enjoy the company of others. Nevertheless, moving away to college for the first time may have been an eye opening experience when discovering that you happen to have a lot of time to yourself. Going to college marks a point in our lives where we are able to explore our independence and find what works best for us. But during this time, we also have a lot of time to ourselves. For some, this may be uncomfortable at first. Personally, it felt weird not to have my family with me all the time, or being able to go eat when I wanted without having to think about what someone else wanted for lunch. I didn't know what it meant to be alone. Here are 4 important things I came to learn my first year of college when I was on my own for the first time.

Silence isn't a bad thing

It may be tempting to fill the silence in your dorm, apartment, or walks between classes with music. It can be scary to be left to our thoughts. But there is something to be said of the calm of silence. In the silence we are not distracted. We can observe our surroundings while walking or take time to reflect in our dorms, and evaluate our goals. The silence provides us with a lot of options to spend our time.

Go out with friends, make new friends, or explore a new interest

The world is full of opportunities to explore. Most colleges have hundreds of clubs and organizations to take part in. There are clubs for sports such as gymnastics, soccer, and even Muggle Quidditch (it's intense). You can join a wilderness group, an a capella choir, or an improv team. Even if you don't end up joining any clubs, you will have met a lot of new people. Now you will have friendly faces that you recognize around campus. In the first month of college, I attended at least six club meetings. While I don't regularly attend all of them, I know I have friends in many places.

Take the opportunity to have some self-care time

Sometimes life can be crazy and overwhelming. When you're on your own, you have the perfect excuse to use some extra time to treat yourself. This could mean buying yourself an extra cup of coffee in the morning, or doing a face mask in the evening before bed. Meditating or writing in a journal is a great option to reflect and create some calm.

You are not alone

You will always have people with you no matter what. In an age where we are so digitally plugged in, it is impossible to be more than a phone call away from mom and dad, or a text away from a friend. So when the silence becomes deafening, you miss your friends from home, give them a phone call. If you don't live too far away from your friends or family, schedule a time to meet up at a restaurant, or take them on a campus tour. If that isn't an option, see if some of your new dorm mates want to hang out.

Even through the silence, and even among new friends and opportunities, it can sometimes be overwhelming after moving to college on your own. But you're not alone. Even something as simple as a text message can go a long way. Just remember that while you may technically be "on your own," there is always someone in your corner.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

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Recommended for you

4 Important Things To Learn When You Are On Your Own For The First Time In College

Going to college comes with a new sense of independence, that we must navigate as we go.

Silence isn't a bad thing

Go out with friends, make new friends, or explore a new interest

Take the opportunity to have some self-care time

You are not alone

Subscribe to our Newsletter

10 ways to prepare for finals week—beginning with getting to the library.

Who knows where we would be without them.

1. Thank you for laughing at my jokes, even when they really aren’t funny.

2. Thank you for singing unbearably loud with me all the time.

3. Thank you for letting me vent to you for hours about anything and basically being my personal therapist.

4. Thank you for ordering pizza with me at 2 in the morning.

5. Thank you for all the movie days when we don’t feel like moving.

6. Thank you for being my workout buddy everyday.

7. Thank you for sharing your closets with me.

8. Thank you for taking naps with me at random hours during the day.

9. Thank you for cleaning our home with me when we absolutely need to.

10. Thank you for all the rides when it’s late and you don’t want me to walk home alone in the dark.

11. Thank you for studying with me in our kitchen when we didn't want to go the library.

12. Thank you for making dinner with me.

13. Thank you for helping with my hair, makeup and outfit every time we go out.

14. Thank you for taking countless ugly pictures with me.

15. Thank you for not judging me when I go too long without showering.

16. Thank you for making our apartment feel like a second home.

17. Thank you for being there through all of our boy troubles.

18. Thank you for giving me a hug when I feel homesick.

19. Thank you for getting excited with me when one of us gets a good grade on an exam.

20. Thank you for still being my friend and not judging me when I say or do dumb things.

21. Thank you for telling me what I should do when I am sick.

22. Thank you for dancing horribly with me everywhere we go.

23. Thank you for staying up super late with me when we aren’t tired or can’t sleep.

24. Thank you for being super weird with me.

25. Thank you for all the unforgettable college memories.

26. And most of all, thank you for being the best friends a girl could have.

I may or may not be stressing right now.

1. "What do I have to study for?"

2. "What class do I need to study for the most?"

3. "I’m going to ace this."

4. "Focus!"

5."I have no idea what I'm reading."

6. "I should call my smart friend about this."

7. "I’m going to fail. I’m going to fail."

8. "I’m dropping out of school."

9. "What grade do I have to get on the final to pass the class?"

10. "Oh, no, I have to do good."

11. "I shouldn’t have procrastinated all semester."

12. "I wanna go to bed."

13. "We did not learn this!"

14. "I should go get food."

15. "Why do we even have finals?"

16. "I don’t want to be at the library."

17. "Get off your phone."

18. "I can watch Netflix for like 20 minutes and then go back to studying."

19. "I shouldn’t have watched Netflix."

20. "You have to study now!"

The "Happiest Place on Earth" has a lot of characters with some pretty great advice.

Remember you’re the one who can fill the world with sunshine. — Snow White

The past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it. — Rafiki

You don't have time to be timid. You must be bold and daring. — Lumière

If watching is all you're gonna do, then you're gonna watch your life go by without ya. — Laverne

Sometimes the right path is not the easiest one. — Grandmother Willow

Always let your conscience be your guide. — Jiminy Cricket

To infinity and beyond. — Buzz Lightyear

Life is a journey to be experienced, not a problem to be solved. — Pooh

Let it go. — Elsa

If you can't say something nice, don't say nothin' at all. — Thumper

Today's special moments are tomorrow's memories. — Genie

It's a time of love, family, memory-making, and gift-giving. But also a time of stressing over the perfect gift.

Money

Socks

Blankets

Gift Cards

Hoodies and Sweatpants

Pajamas

Candles

A Fish

CDs

Movie Tickets

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