My first year of college had its ups and downs, but in the end I realized that I wouldn't have been able to get through it without a few key things. However, before I go into this topic I want to set up the scene for what your first year is going to look like. For most people, going to college is really the first time in their lives that they will truly be independent from their parents, in the distance sense, as well as in the legal sense. Once you turn 18 your parents are legally not allowed to see your medical information or your grades, and they are not going to be watching your every move and warning you to not do this or that or to not associate with a particular group of people or not. You get to decide who you hang out with, when and how much you eat, how much time you want to spend socializing versus studying, even making your own sleep schedule. Depending on where you go, it could be the first time that you are away from your parents and siblings for a long period of time. It could be the first time you have to share a room with somebody, and for most people roommate drama is bound to arise at some point.
Whether you were like me and are excited to go to college or if you are anxious to go to college, you will quickly realize that college is not all how it appears to be. It is not at all like all of the movies and TV shows we love to watch. It is not like high school where you have busy work and mini assignments that will offset your grade. Instead of having classes with 25 students you may have classes with up to 200 plus students in your lectures. You have different vocabulary that you will have to start using, like for example, you are not dealing with teachers anymore but with professors, and they are not going to baby you like they did in high school. Your professors will expect you to come to them for help and most times you will have to learn the material on your own time, on top of the fact that most of your work will be outside of class.
For those of you who were at the top of your class and never really had to study, if you don't create good study habits and are not able to adapt, you are in for a rude awakening. College is not easy in the slightest, it is hard work and you will struggle, and whether you like it or not it will force you to adapt and make changes here and there. The same people you befriend and the same faces you see on day one may not be there by the end of your first semester. You may have come into college knowing what you want to do and having a certain major in mind, but when you get into class and what the professor says seems like a foreign language you may end up switching majors or even becoming exploratory, or for those who don't know what that means, undecided, and that's okay.
I am not saying all of this to scare you but to warn you, because people tried to warn me and I didn't listen. I thought it would be easy, and I would have more time to get work done because I would no longer have a full day of classes every day. I was naive, and my first semester hit me hard because of it. Everybody will struggle in some aspect of their lives their first year of college, whether it's with the transition to being on your own or maybe changing your study habits, or maybe just socially being opened up to a whole new world that you had never been exposed to before. You need to prepare yourself for what is to come. College is a big transition yes, but It is only scary and it can only get the best of you if you allow yourself to focus on all that you don't know and don't have and everything going wrong for you, versus all that you do know and have accomplished to get to this point.
As a first year student you will basically have a whole bunch of information thrown at you for the first time, and your parents won't be there to hold your hand and guide you every step of the way. This is something that was of big concern to me even though I knew that because I did struggle in high school it would benefit me in college, I still struggled in my first year and had to adjust. I realized that I need every single second that I can possibly get to absorb information and get my work done, but I knew that I really have not been exposed to much prior to then, and for me that was the hardest adjustment.
My first semester I struggled socially and excelled academically, but second semester I did a complete 180. I came into college having a roommate who I thought would be my best friend forever, and it didn't end up working out, and that's okay. I was excited to get a change of scenery and to start on my path of becoming an adult, but at the same time I knew that I really didn't know anything about the real world.
Everybody will have their own struggles, and everybody will have to adjust in some way shape or form. Tackling your first year of college is a huge milestone but it can be done, and you can do it! Just because you are not with your family doesn't mean that you can't reach out to them for help or advice. Just because you and your roommate may fall out doesn't mean it's the end of the world. If you find yourself struggling in your classes there are ample resources at your institution for you, and believe it or not your professors only want to see you succeed.
Your first year may be patchy, and I can tell you that it won't be all butterflies and rainbows, but if you are aware of what is to come you have conquered the first challenge. My advice to you is to get involved and find things that you are passionate about, because in all reality you are not going to be studying 24/7. You will want to be social as well, but make sure that you know school is your priority, and I promise you sooner or later you will find your people who will support you and be your motivators.
I came into college thinking I was going to have a huge group of friends and I ended up left with the two girls pictured above, Lily and Jordan, who helped me survive my second semester. Whether we needed to have a study session or go to the cafeteria or simply just have a girls night and color and do face masks, we found that we could depend on each other to pick ourselves up.
Although it may seem like you are alone and the only one with concerns going into your first year of college, believe me, you are not. Everybody is scared to go through their first year, and rightfully so. College is a big transition, but you can do it. Go to class, do your work, prioritize school but still get involved and be social, don't get too involved and get overwhelmed, but put yourself out there. You are smarter than you think, and you can do anything you set your mind to. You've got this! :)
