Going on my third week at college, I've come to find college is fun. It's different. It's hard. It's change. It's some of the best times you'll ever have with some of the best people you will ever meet. Some things you think will happen won't. Something you don't expect to happen will. This is a time where you learn who you are and become the person you want to be. Here's what it is actually like transitioning to life on a college campus:
1. You tend to start calling your dorm your "home."
It technically is now. You live there, you sleep there, all your stuff is in your room. It really does become your home. It's your space and where you go after a long day of classes to unwind and distress. You curl up with Netflix and your fav snacks and it is really like you are at home.
2. If you're lucky, your roommate is your best friend.
I for one got very lucky. I couldn't imagine surviving without her already. All of the awkward first days in the dining hall, finding your way around campus, and late night homesickness all becomes manageable with my roommate. From the late night heart-to-hearts to sharing of clothes to always having each others backs, I know I am blessed to already have someone I know I am going to want to have in my life forever.
3. The food will take some getting used to.
Especially coming from Jersey, where seriously everything is just better. But people think, "Pizza and bagels everyday? No way!" But actually no. You get sick of them after like the fourth day in the dining hall. There are always other options but it can still be rough. You can get used to it but nothing is as good as a nice home-cooked meal.
4. You hang out with everyone all the time.
It's two in the morning and one of your friends or someone from down the hall can be knocking on your door to want to hang out. You learn to be super comfortable since you are living with all these people all the time. So you all can hang out at any time of the night and get to know everyone always.
5. FaceTime will become essential.
All of a sudden, everyone you are close to are about to spread out all over the state, country or even the globe. You go everyday talking to certain people about all the little things. FaceTime or Skype will help you catch up on the big things, and leave the little things for when you are all home again.
6. You will (eventually) learn how to manage your time and freedom.
For most first-year students, this is your first time away from home for an extended period of time. You are all on your own, responsible for yourself and your choices. You need to learn to make the most of your free time and stay on top of your work and not push it off till it is actually due since odds are you will have double the work by then. But your free time can be a huge blessing (so you can watch Grey's Anatomy) and then also a curse (because you spend all your time watching Grey's Anatomy.)
7. You will probably get homesick.
If you're me and decided to go to an out state for college, it can sometimes make things harder: the random calls, care packages and cards from your mom make you feel better but also worse at the same time. You miss things that were once the norm and now you long for the times when you go home. It tends to make you value the time you spend at home more. But most of all you miss your mom being there to give you a hug whenever you really need it.
8. Get involved.
Other than making good use out your free time, getting involved on campus is also a great way to meet people and make friends with people who share the same interests as you. Join clubs, play a sport, join choir - just be involved. It makes you feel better than just being in your room. Just have fun.
9. It's some of the best times of your life.
You start to grow as a person and learn from all the new experiences you are having. You have meet people that you know will forever be apart of your life forever and already and made crazy-ass memories with them. It is one of the most amazing experiences you have gone through so far and you never seem to want it to end.
