As I watch friends and peers from the class of 2016 who are about to embark on their collegiate journey within a month, or so, I can't help but reminisce about all of the anxieties I had only a year ago before I started the same journey. I remember very distinctly how uneasy I felt as I first contacted my future roommates, how unsure I was of my potential area of study, and how scared I was to leave the comforts of my high school and hometown friends, family and routine. Many people had given me plenty of advice and shared words of wisdom to try to ease my mind, but there are just a few things that I wish I had completely understood before I moved out of home and into the dorm.
You aren't the only one who's scared.
Just about everyone you'll meet on move-in day is going to share many of the anxieties you have about starting college. Of course, not all schools are the same, but whether you're going to a university, private college, or community college, most (if not all) of your classmates are going to be just as nervous and/or clueless as you are. Everyone is trying to figure out how to navigate campus, find their classes, fix their schedules, make friends, and locate the nearest food source -- just like you.
You are not obligated to stay on any one path of life.
I was fortunate enough to come from a community where most of the graduating seniors in high school planned on going to college, and even had an idea of what they wanted to do in life. I was naive enough to think that most people just go to college and stick to the path they started out on. That mindset couldn't be farther from reality. It is totally normal to start on a path only to realize it wasn't meant to be. Many people transfer schools if they find they aren't in the right environment, or decide to try another area of study, and people do drop out entirely if they find that college just isn't for them. All of that is a-OK, and no one should be hard on themselves if the path they started on doesn't end up being the one that's right for them.
It's OK to ask for help.
As you are starting this brand new chapter in your life, many things will start to change. Your environment, your friends, your diet, your routine -- the list is endless. No one expects you to know exactly how to navigate all of these changes and new experiences. You can't know how to deal with or handle something you have never been through. Many schools offer several different services that can help guide you through these new experiences, and even help you to cope with them -- all you have to do is utilize them. Those services, along with your resident assistant (if that applies to your situation) are there to help guide you through this super confusing time. Use them as often as you need, and do not take them for granted.
To those of you who are about to begin the next chapter of your lives, whether it's college or independent life, I wish you the best of luck from the bottom of my heart. Know that you are not alone, and that help can be found just about anywhere. From someone who's been through that first year of semi-independent life (and survived), enjoy it while you're in it. It'll all be okay.
