My Freshman Story: They Never Said It Would Be Easy

Dear NU Freshman,

It’s the middle of November, the weathers getting cold and school is tough. They say college is supposed to be the best four years of your life, but midterms week is making that very hard to believe. To top it all off, everyone seems to have their life together, and you just don’t.

Reality check: none of us do. As a college freshman myself, I’ll be the first to admit that it hasn’t been the easiest transition. Starting over is hard, and nobody expects you to have it all figured out the moment you step foot onto campus. I sure didn’t.

The other day I was sitting in the all-freshman dorm and overheard a girl ranting about how she’s worried that she doesn’t have what she would consider to be a ‘best friend.’ We’ve been in school for about seven weeks – that’s not even two months. Think about it: how long did it take to develop the friendships you have back home?

College is something you simply can’t rush. Things will happen at their own pace, and it’s okay not to have everything figured out yet. It may seem as if everyone else does, but we’re all in the same position – some people are just better at hiding their insecurities than others.

I’ve had my fair share of breakdowns. What if I don’t find my close group of friends? Do people even like me? What if I end up disliking the clubs I’m part of?

My biggest piece of advice? Breathe. We still have time. If somebody says they have it all figured out… they don’t.

This is the time to figure out who you are. You get a new start, a new identity. Don’t waste your time worrying about the little things. Everything will fall into place as long as you focus on what makes you happy.

Step out of your comfort zone. Take a challenging course. Talk to that cute guy in your math class. You never know the relationships you can create by taking one step out of your daily routine.

I’ve almost completed my second month of college, and I can confidently say that I don’t have my life completely together. I don’t get enough sleep, procrastinate a little too much and get lost every time I step foot into Tech. But that’s ok.

Fall quarter of freshman year is about you. ​Go ahead, make mistakes, but make sure you learn from them. Discover what works for you, and maybe what doesn’t. As long as you focus on what’s best for you, everthing else – like friendships- will fall into place. 

Take a step back, breathe and enjoy the best four years of your life. I promise you won’t want to miss a second of it.

Love Always,

Nicole, NU Freshman

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