If you told my younger self that I’ve finished nearly four semesters of college, I’d laugh. For the longest time, I was told I had to go to college, and that made me want to go even less. To my immediate family, I’m considered a first-generation college student, so it was always important to them that I get the education and college experience that they never had. Even though I’ll almost never admit it, I’m grateful for them for pushing me to go. College has been one change after another that I never thought I’d expect. You can ask lots of college students and find that college is different for everyone. Here are some key factors about my college experience that I’d like to share.
- When I first attended college, I thought the roommate I chose to live with would be my best friend in the world. Wrong. A lot of people experience their first friends in college to be their ride or die throughout the four years. Mine was the opposite. Nothing was her fault or mine, of course, we just didn’t click the way we thought we were going to. It takes a lot more than just a few hobbies to make a friendship.
After she transferred, I started getting close with this group of girls who I adore. We had such great times watching movies, jamming out to Disney music and saying the same memes over and over. But there was still something missing from me that I didn’t quite understand. I knew I was having fun but there were other things I wanted to experience in college that I wasn’t experiencing. I’ve always been this way, but in college especially, I learned that people have multiple friend groups. Someone like me can have so many different interests that don’t always co-exist together. For example, one can love musical theater but also enjoy playing soccer. Right now, I’m trying to balance my friend groups but I haven’t fully succeeded in that yet.
- Something that goes along with multiple interests is picking your major. I went into college as an English major with a concentration in Creative Writing and minoring in Film. Sounds like I had a full plate, imagine if I had double majored. This phase quickly changed after I took my first film class freshman year. I knew I wanted to do something in filmmaking and this course was nothing like what I wanted to do. What I really want to do is write novels and turn them into screenplays. Luckily, I realized early on that I can get my screenwriting courses through my concentration. That’s when I dropped my minor after getting my final grade for film. I did, and still do have a huge appreciation for film and filmmaking but not to the extent at a college level.
This story is minor compared to what other students have gone through. Lots of college kids realize that they don’t enjoy their dream major or don’t know what to do which becomes very stressful for them. We are so young, we change our minds every 10 minutes half the time. What makes society think that we know exactly what we want to do with our lives before the age of 30? Hell, some people don’t know what they want to do until they’re 40.
- Another thing that has defined part of my college career is my love life. I came into college already talking to someone who was back in my hometown. Even though it started as a summer fling, we stayed in constant communication when I first got to school. After a week of being apart, we realized we loved each other and hated being apart. My hometown is an hour away from my college campus and I go home every weekend to visit. Did I expect this to be part of my plan when leaving home? No. Do I regret it? Not one bit. I know it’s not ideal, and yes it can be stressful, but it’s my choice. It bothers me when people have negative things to say about me not getting the “full college experience.” Is there a specific college experience we need to have? Everyone’s different, therefore, everyone’s experiences are different. For other people, college is the time when people get their first partners, explore their sexuality or just hook up. Tinder is essentially every college student’s right hand. While kids are swiping on their phones, I’m FaceTiming on mine!
College is an experience that’s different for everyone. It’s also this obstacle course on how to navigate myself and real-life situations in a different format. With that being said, I’ve learned so much within two years. I know that I procrastinate to the very last second, I lack a lot of motivation especially when it’s nice out, and I know to never take three night classes a week ever again! I’ve enjoyed most of my personal college experience so far and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the next two years.
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