After all of your essays, tests, applications, acceptance letters, dorm shopping, emotional goodbyes, and (finally) move in, you can easily forget what you are getting yourself into. For so long your focus was getting into college and then it became packing, making sure that you have everything, and moving all of your stuff in. By the time you have your dorm all decorated and you say goodbye to your family, there is a moment where everything hits you at once, and you suddenly realize that you have to figure out how to be a college student.
I am already a month into college and still have no idea what I am doing. Every aspect of my life has completely changed and there are so many elements about college that are just so weird and unexpected.
The first huge adjustment is constantly living with a complete stranger. My roommate ended up being random, and I could not be happier because she is considerate, easygoing and we have a lot in common, but it is still a major adjustment. Finding downtime and time to be alone is difficult because your room is not just yours, and your space is not just your space. If your stuff is on the floor and your side of the room is messy, it makes the whole room messy and you have to be conscious of that! Constantly living with someone takes some getting used to, but it teaches you to be less selfish and more aware of the people around you. Plus, the best part is that you always have someone who is there to talk to and rely on!
Credit: India Pearman
Another weird aspect of starting college is that no one knows who you are or anything about your life prior to going to college. I am not saying this is a bad thing, it is just weird to get used to at first. At home, everyone knew who I was and I rarely had to introduce myself to anyone. Being in college, on the other hand, you literally introduce yourself to every person you see, even random people in the elevator. One of the hard parts that comes along with this is remembering everyone who introduces themself to you. Since being here I have realized that I am really not the best at remembering names. You also don’t have a best friend straight off the bat who knows everything about you and knows exactly what you’re thinking and feeling all of the time.
Another big change is that life is basically a year long sleepover. You aren’t sleeping in your own bed, showering in your own shower, using your own toilet, or eating a home-cooked meal. On the other hand, you can eat dinner with your friends whenever, you don’t have a curfew, and you can basically do whatever you want, whenever you want. You are constantly surrounded by people and new friends. I personally love this aspect, but it’s also tiring and it can be hard to find a balance between constantly being with people, and taking some time for yourself to get your work done and relax.
Credit: India Pearman
I now find myself saying, “I’m going home,” when talking about going back to my dorm, whereas at first, I felt weird about saying this. Now that we are a month in, I have adjusted a lot more and now see my dorm as my home and Boston as where I live; all these weird aspects of college life are starting to become my “normal.”
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