One of the things that I immediately noticed about my major is that it is not exactly in popular demand. In my school, the Theology major is laughable in size. The most beautiful things about that is that within this small group of Theology majors, I was able to find one of the most important communities of my college life. As we went along, learning the same subjects, discussing the same topics, suffering the same exams/quizzes, and procrastinating on the same papers, I quickly learned that these were the people I needed to hold onto in order to have a successful first year. I couldn't ignore them, they were always there. Rather than ignoring them I chose to embrace the fact that I have come to really appreciate having this “community” of people to share my experience with. The people that you have classes with are always going to be there, no matter what. Whether they belong to your academic program or not, the people that are in your classes can be a great resource in your college career.
In regards to the people that are in your major, creating a community with them is just as important as creating a social community in your first year of college. The people in your major are in the same path as you, perhaps with a different outcome in careers, but still pursuing similar academic goals. First and foremost, it’s important that you at least get to know who these people are, not become best friends with them but noticing them throughout campus and creating that “community” for yourselves both in the classroom and outside the classroom. I have seen it countless times, especially in the dorm that I lived in last year, that those who are in the same major as you will always be in a kind of solidarity with you with the same projects and stresses you are dealing with. If I could leave you here with something today it would be to not be afraid to reach out to these people in your classes, particularly those that are in your major. These are “your people”. Think about it, they came into college with the same idea in mind that you had when you applied. Not only that but they share similar interests to yours and their presence in the difficult moments of the semester all allow for great community to form.
In regards to those who aren’t in your major, I encourage to reach out these people as well. Some of my closest friends that I have met all belong to a different major than I do, like I said, the Theology major is puny in size. My roommate was a psychology major, and the roommate that I have now is a PA major, two completely different perspectives in comparison to mine, yet two great people that I am glad to say I have come across in my time at college. While most of the initial communities that I belong to here were formed within the activities I took place in or in the dorm that I lived in, I was able to completely branch out from there and find a community that I never expected to find. These communities have helped me with things within life that were both major and minor and for a college freshman and that it is incredibly important to have. In a time of transition, especially such as college, it is immensely important to surround yourself with the support of people who have either experienced it already or those who are currently experiencing it. These communities can’t just be found within the obvious social environments you place yourself, they can be found everywhere even and especially in the classroom.
