You know that phrase, "College is the best four years of your life"? I am sure you do, since you have probably heard it hundreds of times by adults. Many middle and high school students look forward to college; after having this phrase told to them by numerous adults, they begin to believe it themselves. In a sense, college could be the best four years of your life. You have a lot more freedom, you are getting to pursue a degree in something you are passionate about, and most importantly, college is the place where you are able to discover yourself and who you truly are. However, the way college is experienced by everyone is different. With this post, I wanted to share 5 things I learned and experienced in my first year of college.
1. You have a lot more free time than you think - In high school you go to school for eight or so hours a day. However, in college we have one to multiple classes a day, then a break where we don't have class. Each class in college is usually an hour or more, and they are offered at certain times and days during the week, so you don't always have one class right after the other. Therefore, we have a lot of down time to study, eat, sleep, relax, etc.
2. Your social group is always changing - I made friends right from move in day; however, my social group fluctuated throughout my first year. People I was super close with at the start of the year become more distant as the year went on, and I continued making new friends throughout the year. In college you are always meeting new people and making new friends, and that causes your social circle to constantly be changing.
3. Transitioning to living without your parents can be difficult - The majority of kids see their parents as their rock; they rely on their parents for support. However, when students attend college, they live in a dorm room or apartment with other people, people who are not their parents. Not having parents constantly around to fix every problem that arises can be a problem for students, as they have to make decisions on their own and solve any issue that comes up. However, despite the difficulty of transitioning to living without parents, students often learn to become more independent.
4. There are lots of clubs and extracurriculars - All colleges offer a variety of clubs and extracurriculars for students to engage in. These opportunities are ways for students to engage in and pursue their passions, as well as get involved with the campus and other students. By joining clubs and extracurriculars, students will be able to fill their time spent out of class with something they love, meet other students, and bond over a shared passion.
5. You meet loads of people pursuing different majors - In high school, the majority of students in your grade take the same classes, such as English, Math, History, Science, Electives, etc. However in college, you declare a major, and many students go in different directions. For example, both my freshman year roommates were Human Biology majors while I am an Anthropology major. My boyfriend is a Computer Science Game Design major, and his roommate is a Computer Science major. Some of my other friends are Legal Studies majors, Astrophysics majors, Psychology majors, Sociology majors, etc. I guarantee that in college, you will meet loads of people who are pursuing different majors than your own.
1. You have a lot more free time than you think - In high school you go to school for eight or so hours a day. However, in college we have one to multiple classes a day, then a break where we don't have class. Each class in college is usually an hour or more, and they are offered at certain times and days during the week, so you don't always have one class right after the other. Therefore, we have a lot of down time to study, eat, sleep, relax, etc.
2. Your social group is always changing - I made friends right from move in day; however, my social group fluctuated throughout my first year. People I was super close with at the start of the year become more distant as the year went on, and I continued making new friends throughout the year. In college you are always meeting new people and making new friends, and that causes your social circle to constantly be changing.
3. Transitioning to living without your parents can be difficult - The majority of kids see their parents as their rock; they rely on their parents for support. However, when students attend college, they live in a dorm room or apartment with other people, people who are not their parents. Not having parents constantly around to fix every problem that arises can be a problem for students, as they have to make decisions on their own and solve any issue that comes up. However, despite the difficulty of transitioning to living without parents, students often learn to become more independent.
4. There are lots of clubs and extracurriculars - All colleges offer a variety of clubs and extracurriculars for students to engage in. These opportunities are ways for students to engage in and pursue their passions, as well as get involved with the campus and other students. By joining clubs and extracurriculars, students will be able to fill their time spent out of class with something they love, meet other students, and bond over a shared passion.
5. You meet loads of people pursuing different majors - In high school, the majority of students in your grade take the same classes, such as English, Math, History, Science, Electives, etc. However in college, you declare a major, and many students go in different directions. For example, both my freshman year roommates were Human Biology majors while I am an Anthropology major. My boyfriend is a Computer Science Game Design major, and his roommate is a Computer Science major. Some of my other friends are Legal Studies majors, Astrophysics majors, Psychology majors, Sociology majors, etc. I guarantee that in college, you will meet loads of people who are pursuing different majors than your own.
