It's Summer Time!!!!!

Holy freaking cow. Summer is coming, and good golly, am I looking forward to it! As my freshman year of college draws to a close, I can’t help but look back on the year that felt like it would never end…

My story is a bit of an unusual one. From the start, I was NOT happy to be coming to Marquette. It wasn’t so much the specific college as it was just college in general. I was homesick, lonely, and perpetually anxious.

Overall, though, I remember just feeling incredibly frustrated. I felt like college had been truly overhyped – everyone talked about how different it was from high school, how much fun it was and how many friends I would make and how happy I would be. First semester of college did NOT live up to ANY of those claims. However, I will sprinkle in pictures of me with my friends from second semester to lighten the mood.

Let’s address the first lie: college is different from high school.

I had so many teachers talk about how we as college students had to be “responsible." One teacher never shut up about the fact that our parents weren’t around to tell us when to do our homework or eat dinner or go to sleep. Well, guess what, Dr. Park? I didn’t have anyone telling me to do that stuff before, either!

To be clear, that’s not to say my parents weren’t around – I’ve just always been extremely self-sufficient. Being on my own at Marquette didn’t make me feel free – it just made me feel lonely. I’m really close with my family, and being away from them sucks, even now.

Lie #2: College is fun.

Haha, no. First semester gave me a rather rude awakening as I was reminded of the following: College is still school. It’s literally just more school. I’ve been going to school for over 12 years, and I still have more to go.

Sure, there are fun things to do, but it’s pretty much the same as in high school – school is school, fun is fun. Of course, my perception may be a bit skewed since I absolutely LOATHE partying (in my opinion, it is one of the most boring, unenjoyable ways to spend my evenings), which is a primary source of “fun” here.

Lie #3 You will make so many friends in college!

Not so true. Remember in high school, you ended up talking to the people in your classes? Well, in college there isn’t really that option since you need to pay attention to the lecture.

The only way to really meet people is: A) Parties (hell no), B) Study Groups (I can only focus on my own), or C) Clubs and Extracurricular Activities (not a bad option). My issue, however, is that I’m a little shy and not good in large groups, which is primarily how you meet people in college.

So, to sum it up, my first semester of college SUCKED. I honestly didn’t want to come back after winter break, but alas, I need an education to do the things I want to with my life. So, with low expectations, I returned, determined to keep my head down and make it to summer.

It wasn't all bad...

You may be happy to know second semester wasn’t as rough as the first. I did manage to grow some friendships with those I considered to be friendly acquaintances during first semester – obviously I don’t feel as close with them as I felt with my high school friends whom I had known for much longer, but it’s a step in the right direction.

I’ve started to discover that there is more to do on campus than just school and work – lately I’ve actually been exploring the Milwaukee area with my new friends. Do I love it here? Not particularly. Am I content here? Mostly. Do I think I would be happier anywhere else? Not really, no.

So, I guess what I’m trying to say is it’s not all bad. I know that this is just what it’s like to grow up – I have to get more used to being on my own, and hopefully soon it will stop feeling lonely.

There are ups and downs, but I know the people I love are always there for me, even if they can’t physically be here with me. As the school year draws to a close, I’m absolutely thrilled to be going home, but surprisingly, there are some things I’m going to miss.