As we near the end of the first semester as well as the end of the year, I figured a reflection would be acceptable.
We all have these vast ideas on what we think college is going to be like. Many of us think it's going to be wild parties every night, people forcing you to drink or do drugs, your roommate being crazy. No matter what it is, we all have some idea of what we think is going to happen.
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For me, I thought it would be difficult to make friends. Most colleges have a campus where kids can hang out in the quad or it's normal to hang out in the common rooms, but my school is different. Our campus is the city of Boston and typically no one hangs out in the common rooms.
To meet friends I ventured to new floors and knocked on doors, introducing myself, or people came to my floor and did the same thing. I went to a few dorm parties, went to a few “first week of school” events and that's how I made friends. Quickly, I met the friends of my friends and before I knew it the first month was over and I already had a solid group of friends.
But, don’t get too excited. Meeting friends is still not as easy as it seems. Not everyone you meet is going to be your best friend. There will be people you don't like or people you just don't click with and that's okay. The thing about college is you have to learn how to tolerate those people and not just completely shut them out because in the real working world. If you don't like your co-worker it's not like you can just stop speaking to them forever.
You need to just learn how to differentiate your close friends to your friends that you can just hang out with if they are at the same party as you are.
Trust me, I have had my fair share of drama with friends already, and if you're a girl it's something you should expect.
Next, I thought classes were going to be easy. I came from a challenging high school so I constantly had things to study for or homework to do, but college took it to a whole new level. College assignments have criteria you have to meet and generally you will easily get docked points for not stapling your paper. It's getting to be the real world now and professors expect hard work, so you better put in the time and effort and give them what they want.
Also, professors are not scary. Most of my professors require meetings one on one every few weeks to get to know each other and to develop a relationship. Many of mine will suggest internship opportunities they know about or other professors to talk to. They are really helpful people so don't shy away from them.
Lastly, learn how to time manage. If you really suck at it, invest in a book to help you learn different ways because trust me, in college time management is the only thing that will get you through.
You may be assigned a four page analysis paper due in two days, but your friend wants you to go to a party with her. Learn how to prioritize and say no if it comes down to it.
I have learned that doing all my work during the day in between classes is super helpful so I can do whatever I want at night, even if its just chilling with my friends watching a movie. You need to balance your school work and your social life equally so you are getting everything done while still having a good time.
College is super fun don't get me wrong, its just how you go about your first semester could make or break you for the next 4 years.
