Everyone knows beginning college is a huge accomplishment; however, it is also a huge adjustment. Here at St. John’s, classes have been in session for about six weeks, which means I have had time to settle in and get a gist of how things are done here.
I come from the suburbs of New Jersey, so right off the bat, adjusting to the urban lifestyle of Jamaica, Queens was challenging. Navigating buses, subways, and walking directions was confusing at first, but now I have a love, and sometimes hate, relationship with the Q30 and F train.
As someone not from the area, I dorm on campus, which has presented its share of adventures. I am an only child, so coming into college, I was terrified to live with others and share my space. I love having my alone time, but I felt being in a suite I was going to lose that. Thankfully, my dorming experience has been great so far as I have formed a friend group with my suitemates and everyone is respectful of each other’s alone time and privacy.
This brings me to friends. As my suitemates are my friend group, I feel that I do not have as many friends as others, which usually I would start comparing and feeling down on myself. I have come to realize that having a small inner circle is great and I have met a few others where at times we combine to have a larger group, but it is always nice knowing I have my good friends always there with me.
Obviously, I came to college for an education. First-semester classes have been going smooth so far, especially since they are mostly my first-year required courses. I have been trying to stay on top of my deadlines and not procrastinate, which has been a huge help in lowering any stress levels. As an Art History major, I have my first course, which has been nothing but great and is making me excited for the path I am yet to go down.
Another huge challenge of college is being away from your family and hometown friends. I am super close with my parents, aunt, grandma, and my dogs, so being away is sort of weird. I feel the same regarding my hometown friends, I am used to seeing them every day, but now I do not see them for weeks or months. What I have been doing to make the transition easier is making sure to call all my loved ones and friends a few times a week, just to keep up and say hi. For my particular situation, I am able to go home on some weekends and even visit some of my friends’ colleges, which definitely is not the case for everyone, but if you can, I recommend it.
As for my biggest takeaways, adjusting to college takes time and honestly, I did not feel well adjusted until literally last week. There are still times when I ask myself, “Am I really in college?” If you are also a college freshman, just know that everyone is navigating this world too, so do not feel embarrassed or afraid to speak up if anything is troubling you.