To the person who feels lost at your university,
At this point in the year, you may feel a wave of doubt overcome you. Some of you may have adjusted well, made friends, figured out what you wanted to do, and that's all fine. However, it's okay if you're not.
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For some of us, it took us at least until after the first year to get acclimated. I am not saying it gets better for everyone because sometimes it does not. Sometimes you may think working is a better fit for you in terms of meeting people and professional success, and that is perfectly okay.
When I was a freshman, I thought I had friends, good grades, and that everything was going okay. Second semester hit like a ton of bricks. A lot of people I thought were friends started going out more and would shame me for not doing the same. I was taking 18 hours and worked weekends for the paper. I put my academics first and socializing very low on the list. I often felt lonely, isolated, and constantly overwhelmed. I had so many thoughts of dropping out.
Now, again, I am not saying it gets better because for some it doesn't and we should acknowledge that more about their college experience. I am a firm believer, however, in that things work themselves out. Whether it's welcome weekend, freshman year, or after graduation, you will find your support system. You will figure out what you want to do and what kind of a career you are meant to have.
The time that I realized I belonged at college was not really until spring semester of 2016. Even so, I still doubted myself constantly. After going through a lot of reflection, hard work, and finding what I want and love to do, I truly felt like I belonged somewhere on campus.
After a year or two, you eventually figure out what classes make you happy, which subjects do not, and you find your niche. For me, as a double major in journalism and political science, I found myself enjoying more classes involving law and legal studies. My recent decision to attend law school upon graduation next April made it all worth it.
While my dream is still a ways away, I now have support, a sense of fulfillment, and newly found energy to be the first in my family to graduate and to continue my education.
To those who may feel lost now, things work themselves out with hard work and reflection. It took me many talks, late night thought processes, and discussions with advisors, but at the start of 2017, I finally figured out what I was meant to do. I feel more energetic and positive, maybe even more excited then when I first started going to school at UC.
The bottom line: Don't give up. Work hard. Talk things through even if it's just with yourself. You will find something you can see yourself doing even if it's a temporary job or a lifelong career. You will make your way somehow. I am still finding mine just like you are. We are all in this together.
