DO you remember those days when you were excited to enter a new environment where no one else knew you?
Do you remember the thrill of starting a new chapter of your life, where, for the first time, you get to experience the complexities of adult life while enjoying your newfound independence?
According to our elders, being in college will make you experience things you didn’t get to experience in high school, such as meeting people from different towns and cities, to getting culture shock while adapting to a new environment.
With many students starting their college lives soon, here are the things that upcoming students can expect on the way to start their college journey.
Taste of adult life
College can be an overwhelming experience compared with the one that you’ve experienced in high school.
In college, there will be more tasks for you to accomplish and responsibilities to attain (depending on the course that you chose and the organizations that you’ve joined). Adding to this are the different hats that you must wear when you’re not around the campus.
You’ll also encounter a lot of students who are juggling work and school at the same time. Aside from work and school, you’ll also find yourself dealing with other adult things such as looking after your dorm, buying groceries for yourself, and all the other things.
The idea of taking part in adult responsibilities can be stressful at times but at the same time, there can be good in it as you’ll have the freedom to choose what you’d like to do in your spare time.
By the time in college, you’ll come with the experience of early adulthood. This means that knowing how to deal with your responsibilities is a must.
No one knows you here
Starting college, especially in a different city, means that you are bound to start all over again.
Being in a new environment means that you’re in a territory where no one else knows you. Be the person you want to be and introduce yourself however you like.
It’s okay to get overwhelmed sometimes
Burnouts are inevitable especially when you’re juggling responsibilities other than academics.
There is no denying experiencing an overload in academics, work, and other things can get stressful but remember not to be too hard on yourself. Things can get better over time.
Remember that just because you want to have good grades and experience college at its fullest means that you shouldn’t have time to rest.
People come and go
Meeting people and making friends on campus can be just as fun. Even if we want to stay close to them, there will always be a probability where they’ll have to take time off the semester or permanently leave the campus.
People are social beings and oftentimes, once we get to bond with someone, we tend to cling to them.
Learning about their departure can sting at first but being able to accept the fact that people come and go can make you understand the role you played in their life and how change can be beautiful.
Regardless of the reason for them leaving, remember that you can still interact and bond with them from time to time. Their departure from the campus doesn’t mean that the friendship you had with them is at its conclusion.
Remember there’s a reason why they came to your life. Be kind to yourself while being in the process of accepting it.
Different for everyone
When you go out and ask someone about their college experiences, you will often hear them telling different stories of their college life.
Some would say that college is difficult for them while you will hear others saying how college is way easier than high school.
Some would tell you that their college experience is terrible due to circumstances while others would say that their best years of their life were in college.
Regardless of the different stories you’ll hear about college, keep in mind that the experience is going to be different for everyone. Never compare the journey as it’s going to be your experience to share in the future.
College itself looks like an overwhelming phase for many as this is the time when you have to take your responsibilities seriously to graduate. As hard as it goes, just put your eyes on the prize and remember that you got this.
