5 Things I’ve Learned Since Being In College

I’ve officially been in college for almost three months now! It’s hard to believe I’m almost done with my first semester of my freshman year of college. I don’t really feel experienced enough to tell you the do’s and don’ts of college quite yet, but I thought I’d share what I’ve learned so far. This summer I spent so many hours reading about college and what to expect and what to pack. I was so excited! Little did I know how much I would learn in these first few months!

EATING ALONE ISN’T THAT BIG OF A DEAL.

In high school, eating alone was something you tried your hardest to avoid. In the mindset of high schoolers, the people who eat alone are the anti-social people who have no friends. I’m not trying to offend or make fun of anyone, but that’s just what people think. In college, people eat alone all the time. To me, the people who eat alone are confident enough to eat by themselves. Even if you’re not confident, you can always pull out your laptop or homework to seem busy. Works every time. The fear of eating alone was something that I had to overcome very quickly once I got to college. In the grand scheme of life, eating alone is no big deal.

KEEPING UP WITH LAUNDRY IS A BIG RESPONSIBILITY.

I don’t know about you, but at home, my mom always made sure the laundry was done. She kept the laundry schedule on track. In college, you’re on your own and you don’t have your mom to make sure laundry gets done. At my school, I have to pay for laundry. I’ve learned that I can go about two weeks without having to venture to the laundry room.

Laundry takes up a lot of valuable time, too. I mean that’s time that you could spend sleeping. Plus, you have to plan when you do your laundry to make sure that the machines are going to be open. I always try to do mine early in the morning on weekends. No one is up at 8 AM on a Saturday. Holidays or the day after a football game is also a wonderful time to do laundry. It’s a very scary feeling when you reach for underwear and there isn’t any. That’s when you know it’s time to do laundry.

DO THINGS OUTSIDE OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE.

I struggle with this all of the time. I think going to a school where I didn’t know a single person was something very outside of my comfort zone. I try to get involved with things that I wouldn’t normally do. Just joining a club or organization is something outside of my comfort zone for me, haha. This one is still a work in progress.

STICK WITH YOUR GUT FEELING.

Whether it be class, your major, clubs, friends, or relationships, always stick with your gut feeling. I came into college planning on joining the university orchestra. When I got here, I had this feeling that I didn’t want to join. I had spent all of this time working on audition music, but I just wasn’t in love with playing the violin anymore. So, I didn’t audition. I didn’t want to waste my time, the conductor’s time, or the professor’s time. It’s okay to change your mind and say no to things.

EVERYONE IS JUST AS LONELY AS YOU ARE.

People may not seem lonely or homesick, but everyone feels the same way. There are days when I miss home like crazy. I miss my friends from back home constantly. They understood me and I could be myself around them. One of my good friends who is a sophomore in college told me, “Really freshman year is so lonely for everyone. No one wants to admit it and no one looks like it but it’s true.”

BE YOURSELF.

Don’t be someone who you’re not. College is one of the least judgmental places. There are people who dress up, people who look like they just rolled out of bed, and everything in between. Don’t dress like other people just to fit in. Be who you want to be. After all, this is your time to figure out who you are and what you want out of life. If people question why you dress up for class or put on a full face of makeup everyday, just keep doing you. Don’t listen to them.

I’ve learned these things in my first three months here at college. I can’t wait to see what the next few months and next semester will teach me! What was the most valuable thing you learned while in college?

-Abigail T.