College Revelations

As a new college freshman who is quite far from home, I’ve realized a lot about college life, and
want to share some of those insights with you. I want to caveat this by saying that you can’t
prevent many of these thoughts from occurring. No amount of preparation will save you from
some of the things I’m bringing up now, but that’s okay. Part of maturing means coming to terms
with some of these ideas, and I am coming to appreciate how overwhelming college can feel
and running with whatever I have to do.
● You’re going to meet a lot of inconsequential people. I’ve had the same cookie-cutter
conversation so many times: What’s your name? What’s your major? Where are you
from? Where are you living? You won’t befriend everyone you meet, and that is fine.
Trust me; you will make friends, some of whom will drift away and some who will come
to support you when you least expect it.
● The frat flu is real, and it doesn’t matter how healthy you are. Even if you don’t consider
yourself a partier, chances are that you will be exposed to some illness directly or
indirectly. Please stock up on prescription medicine, Emergen-C, and Pedialite, and
you’ll thank me later.
● Your eating schedule will look super different. With more agency over your schedule, you
might stack classes at different times than what you’re used to. In high school, I would
be done by 1:30 most days. Now, I don’t start until 10 and finish around 4PM most days.
Whereas most of my clubs in high school met during the day, I often find myself on
campus until late in the evening for clubs. I also go to the gym at odd hours, so I often
eat my meals at odd times. Keep healthy (and some unhealthy) snacks to get yourself
through the long nights!
● You will feel very overwhelmed. I’ve gone out more than I should have in the past few
weeks, and FOMO is pervasive. During welcome/syllabus week, you will be hearing
about a million different events happening all at the same time, whether that be
academic, cocurricular, or purely social. You will not be able to do it all and that’s okay.
Just remember that everyone feels that way sometimes.
● You will get homesick. Even as someone who was excited to go far for school, I still miss
New York. I miss home-cooked food, showering without slides, and good public
transportation. Call home. Make time to speak with old friends. Keep in contact with
those you want to speak with and hold them tight.
● You will feel lonely. I consider myself very extroverted and social, but I have also spent
my fair share of time alone. Whether I’m eating in the dining hall or working in a
library/dorm, I don’t always find myself around people. There seem to be those people
who have already found their people, but I can assure you that is not the case. No one
can prepare for college until they experience it in its entirety.
This is far ahead for most people, but hopefully, you take these insights with you, and the fact
that everyone feels these things brings you some comfort.