Having been a college freshman for exactly one month, I realize I cannot claim to know absolutely everything about how to smoothly handle leaving behind everything you knew your hometown for a life somewhere completely new, fully knowing you probably have to share a shower with a dozen other people and will not enjoy a home cooked meal for some time. However, having recently undergone the transition myself, I think I have a fresh perspective on how I personally navigated the first month of college.

I moved into my dorm on August 29. Between the two cars we used for transport, I had seventeen boxes, a printer with an array of wires (which I have ever figured out how to use), a tiny television for my dorm, and a box of potted cacti that I protectively carried the entire time. I sat in the front seat of my uncle’s car as we pulled up in front of the building, where upperclassmen dressed in tutus and neon knee socks encouraged my mother to take as many pictures as her camera could possibly contain.

Move-in day was incredibly stressful. I don’t think anybody in the history of college move-ins has ever felt truly relaxed or in control when their belongings are being toted into their new life. If someone reading this can identify with that statement, I think you must be superhuman, because I was completely overwhelmed: between unpacking, cramming everything I owned into a dresser and ten available drawers in my dorm, organizing my belongings, meeting everybody in my room and their parents, and trying to make a good impression on anybody I met, I was totally rattled.

When my mother, father, and uncle - those had helped me move in - left for the night, I found myself in this foreign place with new people and new opportunities that I was slightly terrified to experience.

I spent my evening sitting around a table in my common room with my six suitemates, eating our favorite snacks from home and getting to know each other. As we sat and divulged details of our lives, I remember my best friend from home telling me that I was not going to be friends with my roommate. She had said that roommates are just people you live with; so long as you coexist, that’s all you’ll get out of that relationship.

While that is true in some cases (and that is totally acceptable), by two weeks in, I knew she was completely wrong: I found five wonderful new friends in my roommates. We are all such incredibly different people who have unique perspectives to contribute to conversation! Do not underestimate the roommate relationship.

Orientation is equally as exciting as it is frightening. This applies to most areas of college (as well as life), but truly, every event you attend is what you make it. I put myself out there during every cheesy getting-to-know-you game, and I met some really amazing people. Try to develop a good relationship with as many people as you can! It’s always nice to see a familiar face around campus.

It took me some time to realize it, but whatever it is you’re feeling, whether it be a positive or negative emotion, you are most definitely not alone in it. Slowly but surely, every single tenant in my six-person suite experienced a slight identity crisis; I can personally testify that we all escaped unscathed.

I mean, college is as amazing as it is terrifying. With all the opportunities presented before you and all the amazing people you meet, many freshmen experience crisis when trying to decide who they want to be, if they want to reinvent themselves, where they fit in.

I quickly got involved in trying to find a club that would become a home to me. I was a member of my high school drama club, and had found a family in the participating members. I wanted to get involved in something that would bring me together with like-minded people!

I took tours of the radio and broadcast stations my school facilitated, and discovered that is was equally important to get involved with activities that you are currently passionate about as it is to join a club that covers a developing interest that you can further explore through their organization. As a journalism major, I always envisioned myself concentrating in print; however, after a tour of the television studio, I thought I might want to test the waters of Broadcast.

With that in mind, do not overdo it to the point where you have no free time. Clubs and organizations help you make fast friends, but you will need to reserve time in your schedule for homework just as much as you will need time to have a social life. One of the most amazing things about college is your schedule’s flexibility, but don’t overestimate it.

I have found that there will almost always be an assignment you could be working on, but make sure to organize your time in a way that is efficient and effective for you: finishing an essay should be just as much a priority as getting yourself food, or spending time with your new friends.

Speaking of food, I think it’s important to touch upon the food! Now, I’m not going to sit here and tell you some nonsense about “avoiding the freshman fifteen” - my attitude is, if you’re eating food that makes you happy and healthy, enjoy it in moderation. You’re going to have a lot of options for food in front of you, from the dining hall to convenience store snacks: try to keep a balance in what you eat, eat when you’re hungry.

What my main point was, if you don’t like the food your dining hall services provide, there is an unlimited amount of resources online that can give you recipes tailored specifically for dorm room living: grilled cheeses, mug cakes, you name it! I have almost mastered the perfect popcorn seasoning (hint: try Parmesan cheese).

The first week of classes was a whirlwind, during which an aggressive cold spread through the school like wildfire. I had caught it by the third week, and my remedy was some DayQuil, hot chocolate, sleep, and Panera tomato soup.

In combination with being sick that third week, I began to miss my dog to an unbearable degree, so much so that I was running up to every pedestrian I encountered who was walking their four-legged friend and smothered them in love. My excitement to adore their dogs in combination with my sniffles made for a very enjoyable interaction for the pet owners walking in or around the Boston Commons.

And here we are, in the depths of week four, in which I have discovered that college is truly a magical time in every young adult’s life. My time here has been entirely different than anything I ever could have imagined, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I think that while everyone experiences the transition somewhat differently, we all have experiences rooted in similarities; I think I was so successful in navigating my first month of college because of communicating internally with myself and my peers. My advice to you, as we enter this second month of school, is to stay in touch with yourself!