Lately, a lot of us have just started getting used to this college life, but in no way has it been an easy journey. Sometimes I wonder if we’ve all been going through the same hardships or is it just me who’s had a difficult time adjusting? Whether it’s missing home, having a hard time making friends, or trying to find balance between coursework and time for yourself, it’s all been a slight struggle.
However, before coming to college, my expectations of it were set at another standard. This idea that I had in my mind of how my life would be, somehow did not fit into my reality whatsoever. Like in the movies, I thought this transition from high school to living on my own would-be smooth sailing, but when I finally moved to Temple, I was in for a surprise.
Originally, I went to private school my whole life until my senior year of high school, so I wasn’t quite used to being surrounded by thousands of people. Due to how big Temple felt to me when I first arrived, I felt lost in the crowd and overwhelmed. I often thought, “How could I possibly find a voice or purpose at a school so large?”
Another issue that I struggled with was trying to make friends other than the ones that I came to Temple with. I took everyone’s advice, tried to join as many clubs as possible, watched TikToks, and left my dorm often, but still no new people to hang out with. Of course, I met people here and there, but I never felt connected to them or was reminded of genuine friendships like my friends back home. As a result of this, I constantly got home sick, taking any chance I got to go back to Jersey. I started to question if college was truly meant for me.
Fast forward to now. My mom always told me to not rush relationships, because there is no time limit on making genuine friends, and surprisingly she was right. Although it took longer than I expected, I began to meet people that I would form bonds with and memories that would last me a lifetime. Also, joining student organizations like Her Campus helped give me motivation to do more for myself other than just going to class, and eased my mind when school began to overwhelm me.
At times it’s still tough for me to juggle school, friends, and extracurriculars but I always try my best to find balance in them. Every day college throws us something new to figure out, but these lessons are what shape us and prepare us for adulthood. I wouldn’t trade this experience for the world, and if I had to, I would do it a million times over again.
No one said that this next chapter of our lives would be easy, and anyways– stories with twists and turns are way more interesting than straight paths.