A College Freshman's First Year Reflections

Freshman year of college was a very stressful yet unforgettable year among all my academic years. For everyone, this experience is different, but most may say it is the most stressful in the 4 years you will spend at college. This is something that I was always told by family or people that I knew who had finished their first year upon me about to enter in it. A lot of this depends on the attitude you have within work ethics, time management, and taking the time for your wellbeing with selfcare. Coming from someone who is paranoid about everything, entering into college required a lot to get used to. Things that were evidently expected was the heavy workload and being dependent on yourself to meet deadlines. The work load varied throughout the school year but defiantly was not easy when professors assign major assignments and exams in the same week. This made the anxiousness for the weekend to come around feel even longer. However, a few of my professors understood this as they accommodated to the student’s busy schedules to push deadlines to avoid a heavy workload. Now into the college life, a lot is required to be dependent on knowing deadlines without waiting to the last minute. There are times when prioritizing assignments is needed due to depending on how much time and effort is going to be required. There were times when laziness heavily kicked in and made doing the simplest of writing a 150-word discussion post feel like a drag. This is when being organized with writing things down in a planner, post-its or even setting a reminder on your phone is helpful. Even when an assignment is not due for another few weeks, having that constant reminder helps to avoid forgetting about it and doing it the day or night of. What was not expected was with how lonely ten first few months were while at college. Being away from home without any friends at college in a campus that is slightly isolated made this very difficult. Being a quiet and shy person did not help with this and made coming back from home visits hard. This is why being involved in college is important and beneficial to the self. Stepping out of your comfort zone is not the easiest to do but is definitely beneficial in the long run. Simple as talking to a neighbor in class or attending small events held by clubs or offices now only allow a greater involvement, but also to be comfortable in this new place. As mentioned previously, college is different for everyone and it cannot be expected to have the same experience as others do. However, something that is the same for all is to take chances and not be afraid to step out your comfort zone. Everyone is trying to get through the next few years and it is great to make it one of the best and most memorable.