To the typical college student, December gives mixed feelings. First, fear in the form of finals, which is then followed by feelings of freedom, as the semester has ended. For me though, I feel strangely sentimental for my high school years. This time last year, I had my Texas A&M acceptance letter, but I had zero clue what was coming next.
There is no doubt I have had the most wild four months of my whole life in this semester, and I’ve learned so much information that senior year Allison had never even considered. So, I’ve put together a recap of my first semester in college and my biggest takeaways from it.
Academics
Back in high school, I was a (mainly) straight-A student. However, I was fortunate enough to experience failure every now and then. This helped prep me for the harsher grading systems of university classes and even some harsher professors. I failed an exam or two in my first semester, but instead of dwelling on the disappointment, I wanted to go over the subjects I missed in order to do better next time. Reminder: grades do not define you! At risk of sounding cheesy, trying your best is all that matters. You can’t give more than your best, right?
Also, study! It’s good for you! Procrastination is a special kind of plague! Calculus may suck, but studying will end up being worth it.
Leaving home
One of the biggest things I was worried about was living so far from home. Over a thousand miles separated me from my family and friends in Virginia, and I was basically alone in College Station. On top of that, I had to go off and be an adult! I had to buy food for myself, manage my own time, and try my best not to die. I spent most of August listening to Never Grow Up (Taylor’s Version) by Taylor Swift on my bedroom floor because I was just so nervous to be on my own.
Even though it took a while, and I still have homesick days, I eventually found a rhythm that worked for me. I called home almost every day, and if I didn’t call, I texted. I made sure to stay in touch with my best friends, too. I found myself enjoying College Station and college life more and more every day! I wish I could have told myself that it would all get better with time.
Social Life
Since I moved so far away from my hometown, I was the only one from my high school who went to TAMU, and I didn’t have any friends to hang out with. Additionally, since my classes were so large, it was hard to build relationships with any of my classmates. I started to stay cooped up in my dorm room, which multiplied my loneliness and homesickness.
After a while, my mom texted me saying that a sorority was holding a sort of open house event, and she felt like I would be interested. Since I had basically nothing to lose, I took the bus out there. There, I met some of the kindest, most genuine people I’ve ever met, and I instantly gained such a great family in Alpha Omicron Pi. Greek life is something I swore I would never do, and suddenly all of that changed in the best way. Moral of the story: don’t be afraid to take some risks.
All in all, I would rate my first semester a solid 7/10. It was stressful and really lonely at times, but I ended up making some great friends and finding a way to adjust. I’m not really in the deep end anymore, and honestly, I’m proud of myself! Here’s to more adventures made next semester!