This'll be a reflection on my first two months of college, and all that I've learned about being at university and Oglethorpe itself.
Attending a liberal arts college -especially one like Oglethorpe- makes my experience a lot different than others, but still relatable enough. Let's start off with the fact that a liberal arts college (even more so this liberal arts college) was the perfect choice for me. No boring regular old, general education courses and only one math-ish class required for majors that wouldn't need it. Courses that fit your major every year. Not even merely for English majors or humanties, Oglethorpe is a great fit for math, science, pre-med, bio-psych, engineering, and then some.
One thing to remember when going to college in general -one where you'd be moving away from home and living in the dorms- is that you will miss your family. You'll miss your house, your room, your pets, your parents, your siblings, everything and everyone in between.
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Even if you're dorming at a college in your same town and you go home every weekend, you will miss the routine life that you led for the first 18 years of your life. No matter the relationship you have with your parents, no matter what your usual life consists of, you're going to miss it. College is designed for you to study and have plenty of other distractions from that. New friends, activities, big events, and of course, your classes will all help. At the end of the day however, it's normal beyond belief to feel lonely. Especially if you're going to a school out of town where none of your friends are going.
Make sure to stay on top of things, and don't get into the habit of leaving assignments to the last minute. Yes, getting a short paper done and uploaded to a site like Turnitin at 9:57 pm when it's due at 10 pm is impressive, but what's more impressive is to give your work the time it deserves. Even at a smaller school you won't be able to do everything you want. Trying out for the small, cabaret like performances, being in every club, going to every party. You won't be able to do it. The things that come first are your studies, your health and your well-being. Respectively, of course.
If you go to a unique and awesome university or college like mine, terms of colloquial endearment will be applied to everything with the name of the school, and you'll learn to love it fast. For example, a stray cat on campus would be dubbed "the oglekitty". A cold or bug that goes around especially at the start of the semester because of so many people being around is of course, "the ogleplague".
The fact that the campus is one big circle that keeps us inside with a fence and a gate, and is very castle-like can make it feel isolated. More often it doesn't make it feel that way overtly, but with all that goes on and living on campus it gets difficult to leave. The "oglebubble" is real and it's a rite of passage for every petrel (referencing our university mascot, the Stormy Petrel) to venture out into the city, and just be off campus for a bit. Which is especially easy with a shopping center (Town Brookhaven) being right across from campus and the orientation day of service the first after move in. Mine brought us to Washington Park in downtown Atlanta where we spread mulch. It's a great way to see Atlanta if you aren't a native, at least 10-20 minutes worth through a window.
You're going to make so many friends. No matter where you're enrolled. At Oglethorpe there's only about 1,200 people, but you still meet so many people. New people each week and each month, and then it starts all over again the next year. Don't stress about being besties with your roommates -which I'm sure you've seen in every college advice video or article. Don't let what people think about you get to you. You've got way too many things going on for that. Just be yourself. Better yet, just be.
Don't feel bad about dropping a class. I haven't had personal experience with this, but I know people who have. If you aren't meshing with the professor or the course just doesn't seem right for you, it's your money (a $1000 bucks or so to be exact) so get out of there while you can. If your college is like mine there's a period where you can get the class removed from your transcript without a W for withdrawal, and then a period with the W. Also don't be afraid to change your major or minor. You have plenty of time and it's your time and money. Change it as many times as you want, but also consult your adviser and do a pros and cons list. Don't be scared to change your adviser either. It's someone you're supposed to come to for advice and pretty frequently, if you don't get along it'd be a problem.
You don't have to be friends with everyone, but also be inclusive. Give people a chance you might not have usually and be open in general, but also listen to your instincts. This may seem like common sense, but it's good to remember. Don't get too stressed if you don't seem to be as great of friends with some people as you thought you were. Parties are always better with a reliable group. If you're like me you'll constantly say phrases from a skit on smart decisions performed during Orientation Weekend "Make smart decisions! Respect differences!" and it's true stuff you should follow, but also those who truly care about you are the ones who will make sure that you are smart, safe and happy whenever.
Speaking of school names in form of random words, ever since Quadfest -the celebration on the academic quad that was had after convocation and is annually the first Friday of the first week of classes- "Ogle Means Family" was the phrase of choice. It sounds cheesy (who doesn't like cheese though, am I right?), but with such a small school like mine it really does get to feel like it. Everyone is connected and even if you aren't all friends and everyone doesn't agree about everything, you'll have so many friends. Even at a larger school, everything will be at least a little bit better once you have a friend group, which you will.
Lastly, something to know about college and something I've learned it that....no matter the distance you have between you, being at university while your significant other isn't is hard. It's difficult. You'll probably get through it, but just remind each other how you feel and remember to communicate and talk as much as possible.
Everything is possible if you just believe. Stay tuned for more college tips and personal experiences -probably, and don't forget to Stay Stormy.
