College is difficult. The assignments, and exams, and due dates that all seem to pile on top of each other without much notice are what usually cause copious amounts of worry and stress. Though, the social setting of college can also be something that adds to the anxiety of college life.
Finding yourself can be hard at first, and while finding new friends can help with that, sometimes those are hard to find too. There are a ton of expectations that college freshman have as they embark on this new stage in their life, and sometimes those expectations just aren’t met. The idea that friends are just something that happens without much time or effort is something that I know so many people think to always be the case.
Sure, it’s wonderful if the first people you meet when coming to college are the people you immediately connect with and it’s even more amazing if you find that person in your roommate, or in the girls who live next door. I expected college to be like that, and it wasn’t. Making friends was initially difficult. It felt like everyone already had such established friendships and groups not even two days into the semester. The expectations of finding a group without any effort was something that really made me doubt my ability to make friends in this new environment.
It took me months to find my place here, and it is still an ongoing journey to make more friends. If I could offer girls coming into college one piece of advice, it would be to make an effort to find your place and to find your people because you will end up so much happier than if you settle for something that is not what you think you deserve. Do what you need to do for yourself, join an organization or try to meet some more people in your building and make the changes that you might need to ensure that you are happy.
Know that it is more than okay if you do not immediately find your people or your place, because eventually you will and you will be in a place that is right for you.