I’ve officially been at college for over a week! It has honestly flown by. I anticipated college for what seems like forever, and I am finally living out what I have constantly imagined in my head for the past several months.

Obviously, what I imagined is not exactly what I am experiencing. You can read articles, talk to people, and guess what college will be like for as long as you want, but you won’t really understand the reality of college until you go.

I was super excited to be here! I had many fears, but for the most part, my enthusiasm far outweighed my sadness or worry. So, as you can imagine, I was completely caught off guard when the sorrow and confusion finally hit me.

The first couple days were really difficult. I missed my parents and home like crazy, and I just couldn’t get over the fact that the life I have known for the past seventeen years is vanished. My sweet family of four will probably never live under the same roof again permanently.

I was in a weird state­––feeling emotions I have never felt in my life. I certainly wasn’t miserable or completely hopeless; I just wasn’t myself, and everything around me felt gray and lifeless. It was really strange.

I wasn’t prepared to feel that way. However, I was aware of my confused and sad emotions, and I knew I needed to do something about it. So, I prayed often, went to events, asked people to go to lunch, and tried hard to develop a hopeful and happy mindset. It is incredible how much can change in a week.

Here are some things I’ve learned so far:

You have to reach out to people.

Making friends doesn’t just happen. As a mostly introverted person, I knew I needed to make an effort to meet people and spend time with them. I did just that, and I have already met several amazing friends. As I surveyed the enormous freshman class at convocation a few days ago, I realized the countless potential friendships I could create.

College classes aren’t as scary as they seem.

I love my classes so far. I may not be saying that weeks down the road, but right now, I can’t complain! I only have two classes that are in the typical college lecture halls like you see in the movies. I adore my Intro to Education class, and I also really enjoy my writing class (who would've thought).

The freedom is awesome.

I don’t mean the freedom to do things you weren’t allowed to do at home. I mean, I love getting to go to the library and be by myself when I want or going to get coffee with a group of friends if I want. Other than going to classes, there is nothing absolutely required, and I can plan my day how I want to plan it. I love that.

It gets better.

If you’re reading this and feeling how I described in the paragraphs earlier, know that it does get better. It takes time. Adjustment takes time, friendships takes time, and contentment takes time. A lot has transformed in just a week for me, but other things may take months.

I know for sure that my days of feeling lonely, unhappy or unsettled are not over. I still miss home sometimes, and I am still learning how to cope with this new season of life. Even though I’ve made friends, I’m still not sure which relationships are going to stick and genuinely grow. As much as I want to know, I have to be patient.

Jesus has been my refuge in the past week, and His love and friendship have remained constant in this major life change. Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” I know this to be true.

I have a good feeling about the next four years. In some ways, college is harder than I expected, but in many ways, it’s so much sweeter. One week of college down, and many, many more to go!