I'm sure you've heard more than one person claim that college was "the best four years" of their lives. I will not dispute or discredit this statement, but it must be noted that not everyone shares the same college experience. Some students will find themselves in a lively, engaging environment in which they will develop new relationships, others will seek solace in their coursework and classmates, and others still will find themselves isolated and alone despite the fact that they are surrounded by thousands of people within their own age group. I'm here to speak about the latter of the three, for I was once one of their number, and I'd like to share with you my experience.

First and foremost, it is necessary to make note of the fact that I have always identified myself as an introvert, and this specific aspect of my personality was a major contributing factor to my less-than-satisfactory first year of classes at a four-year school. Making friends and speaking to strangers never came easily, but it seemed to me that my new home of Oswego, New York would be the perfect place to change my ways and better myself. Sadly, not all went according to plan.

I arrived on the campus of the State University of New York at Oswego in the last weekend of August 2013, as a first-year transfer student, and things started going downhill almost immediately. The resident hall I had been placed in was not the one I had requested several months ago, and it was as far removed from campus as it could possibly be, not to mention the fact that it was one of the oldest buildings on campus. I wasn't impressed, to say the least, but I figured I'd be spending a majority of my time outside of my dorm room anyway, so I resolved myself not to worry about it. Besides, I was confident my roommate and I would make the best out of our living situation, even though I'd had no contact with him prior to my arrival on campus. Unfortunately, after meeting my roommate I quickly learned that he had a girlfriend who lived off campus and he preferred spending his nights there instead of in our dorm, and within a week I found that I had the room to myself four or five days in a row.

At first I didn't think of this as such a bad thing, for I was already fond of my alone time and I had several friends from home on campus who I knew I would be able to hang around with. So what if my roommate and I weren't going to be quick friends? This was just another reason for me to learn to be a bit more outgoing and start talking to new people, so I resolved myself to make an effort to engage some of the residents on my floor in conversation when the opportunity arose. Except it never did. Apparently, I had been placed on the anti-social floor of the anti-social resident hall for anti-social transfer students, for every door on my floor was kept closed at all times, and when I did pass someone in the hall they simply kept to themselves. Needless to say, I was disappointed.

I held out hope that things would get better, that I would be able to find my own niche somewhere in the midst of campus life, but as the weeks progressed and the people whom I already knew got progressively busier with their course work and extracurricular activities, I found that I was spending more and more time by myself. In no time at all the weeks became months, and my days began to bleed together so that they had no true differentiation. It was just me running through the same lonely routine, day after day, week after week, and before long the semester was over and I was back home. I had succeeded in my goal of changing who I was, but the changes I had undergone were not ones that I had actively chosen or desired. Where there once was an engaging, albeit quiet young man, there was now an even quieter, brooding young man who was entirely too content with spending a majority of his time alone.

My second semester was a mirror image of the first insofar as my routine hardly changed at all and I still found myself spending a majority of my time alone. However, there were a couple of stark differences between my first semester and my second. The first was a major difference in my coursework, for I was now working strictly on the requirements that were necessary for my degree and I thoroughly enjoyed all of the courses I found myself in. There was constant reading and writing to be done, and my empty dorm room proved to be the perfect environment in which I could complete all of my work. I soon came to not only embrace my time alone but to actually enjoy it. Some of my best-written work was produced during this second semester, and I learned to love the fact that I could be entirely myself at all times when I was the only one around. While it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows and the perpetual loneliness got into my head every now and again, it's safe to say that my second semester was a much more positive experience than my first.

I know the picture I've painted of college is not impressive or enticing, and sure, this was only my personal experience and I definitely had the power to take matters into my own hands and change things, but I firmly believe that I am not the first nor the last to have such an experience while away at school. College is not easy, despite what anyone may tell you. There are bound to be plenty of support systems set up on your campus, but all will pale in comparison to the comfort that a friend or family member can provide.

So if you find yourself in an environment where you feel as if you are totally alone, please reach out to someone, whether it be a friend from home, your mom or dad, or even your classmate who let you copy their notes a few weeks back. If you aren't satisfied with your living situation, contact your housing department and request to be moved to a different building. Don't be afraid to get to know your classmates, and if there's an event you're afraid to go to alone, go anyways, for you'll likely find yourself surrounded and welcomed by people with similar interests.

Your college experience is truly in your hands and you have the power to change it if you are dissatisfied. There are plenty of things I would have done differently if I were given the chance, but I also wouldn't be who I am today if my first year away wasn't what it was. I'm more in tune with myself now than I ever have been before, and learning to be content when I was alone played a large role in that development. Sure, things could have gone better now that I look back on it, but to be honest, I don't regret the experience I had, not anymore. If you're gearing up for your first semester away from home I pray this article hasn't turned you off from the prospects you had for your college experience, and I truly hope that you'll be able to feel the same way about your first year of classes as I do about mine when it's all said and done with.

Good luck, and thanks for listening.