Now on with the rest of the post.
So you got accepted into college! That's so rad! I am so incredibly happy for you!
BUT....college isn't all that the media or everyone else says that it is. So I'm here to be real with you.
1. College is a really big adjustment.
Some people take it really well, other's don't. Either way, it's completely okay and perfectly normal. I came into college last year as someone with a minor anxiety disorder who doesn't adjust well to change. Don't get me wrong, I was so hyped for college, but it was hard to adjust. I faked the fact that I was adjusting well because I was too afraid to admit that I was having a hard time. I really regret not getting help that first semester because my anxiety disorder turned to marked/severe and I failed two classes. That's just one story, and an extreme case at that, but the moral remains the same: don't be afraid to admit that you need help adjusting if you do.
2. Dorm Rooms, at least here at App, are small.
I'm sure you've seen pictures on Pinterest of the most perfect dorm rooms ever, and sometimes dorms can be like that, but here it's kind of hard in the freshmen dorms. Even in Lovill, one of the biggest freshmen dorms, unnecessary furniture will make the room feel really small. As an added note, don't be afraid to rearrange when you move in. You don't have to keep the room exactly as you've found it. I think I've rearranged my room at least three times in this past year and I can definitely say that it's much easier when you don't have a lot of stuff. Ultimately, in the end, it's your decision and completely up to you when it comes to your room.
3. You accrue a lot of stuff in one year.
Oh my god do I have so many more things in my room now than when I moved in because of the changing seasons, trips to Johnson City or Asheville, Walmart runs for things you forgot you needed, and free things they give you around campus from time to time. I barely had enough room in my car to move things up here the first time without all the added things. I actually had to send a lot of things home when my parents came up to visit a few weeks ago. So, make a plan for how you're going to get everything home in the Spring. That's good advice whether you do accrue extra things or not.
4. Roommates can be great!
Or they can make your life hell. During roommate agreements, which are done two weeks into the year, be completely and totally honest about the things that bother you and what you're okay and not okay with. That's what the roommate agreement is for. You should probably also have an open conversation with your roommate during the first few weeks because, most likely, you're both two strangers that were thrown into a room together. My roommate and I made the mistake of putting off the roommate agreement until the night before it had to be turned in, and it just so happened to be the night that I decided to go out with a few friends. When I got back, all I wanted to do was sleep, but we still had to do the roommate agreement, so I kind of just agreed to things without question and basically let her do all of it, and that was not the best choice, but I learned from it.
5. You won't always be best friends with your roommate.
Some people are best friends with their roommates, but a lot of people aren't. I'm not trying to tell you that you shouldn't come in with the hope that you'll be best friends with your roommate, because you should, just be prepared to not be as close as you thought you would be. You'll both meet so many new people and you'll both make other best friends, but if you really do want to be friends with your roommate, try. It doesn't just happen automatically.
6. Don't be afraid to get involved.
But don't get involved in too many things. Classes are more important than ever. That degree is, unfortunately, part of a social law when it comes to getting a job. But so are extracurriculars. Joining clubs can show leadership experience, but it's the same as in high school, less is more. If you are looking for leadership experience, I recommend joining your hall council. Just know that hall council can be a really big time commitment depending on which position you have. I was a Residence Hall Association Representative and I spent, on average, three hours a week on hall council, but I had extra meetings that I had to go to and very few other individuals on my hall council were willing to participate. Anywho, clubs are a great way to figure out what interests you and where you really belong, so join some! Just don't join like....twenty.
7. Freshman 15?
I don't really believe in the Freshman 15 and I'm someone who doesn't go to the gym as much as she probably should and eats maybe three full meals a week with the rest being snacks. The myth really depends on your personal lifestyle and how much that previous lifestyle changes when you get to college and how your body adjusts - everyone is different. Also, you will hear so many people say that gaining weight here is impossible because of the hilly campus and how many stairs we have. You may lose half a pound or two in the first few weeks, but eventually your body will adjust to the amount of work that's being exerted and you'll plateau in the weight-loss game. Big reason why an adaptive work out schedule and healthy eating are key to losing weight, but that's a different topic.
8. Greek Life
While it's not personally for me, I have many friends who are actively involved in Greek Life. Because we're such a small campus, Greek Life here is very different than at bigger schools like UNC or NC State. Also, I've heard that it's nothing like the old ABC show "GREEK" and that really disappointed me. I actually came in on the fence about wanting to do Greek Life, and then I went to the info session at Orientation right after Risque Business and that kind of cemented my decision not to do it, so if you're thinking about it, definitely go to the info session before you commit to rushing.
9. Academics are hard.
I saved the most important one for last. Academics are very different now than they were in high school, and I did both AP and IB - two programs geared towards preparing you for college. I wasn't expecting to actually need to study in college because I never had to in high school, good grades came naturally. If you do find that you're having a hard time, talk to your professor, go to math lab or the writing center, go to the tutoring center, talk to your RA. All of those people want you to pass with good grades, but you have to go to them. And if you do get a bad grade, or fail a class, it's not the end of the world, I promise. You can always retake the class. But take that bad grade as a learning experience and do something differently. Whether it's a different method of studying or not going out as much, it doesn't matter as long as you figure out how you, as a unique individual, need to do things in order to do the best that you can.
College is supposed to be fun, but it's also supposed to be a place where you figure out who you are as a person and who you want to be as a person. Because of that, I want to leave you with something that I learned in my First Year Seminar.
The only way you can grow as a person is to put yourself out of your comfort zone.
Through all of the seriousness college carries, don't be afraid to be adventurous or try new things. That's how I became an anthropology major.
So congratulations, again, on being accepted into college and go enjoy your summer!
xx Britt
No comments:
Post a Comment