Today, I had a sweet girl message me on Facebook asking me about UNCW. She just got accepted and is planning to major in Nursing. She was so adorable, and she was very honest about her nerves. I can remember that feeling. I remember being her. I was so nervous. The thought of college sent me running in the other direction because that meant I had to leave the nest of home and high school. It meant I had to move to a new place and make new friends. It meant I had to figure out who I wanted to be in this life. It meant I actually had to spread my wings and fly, like everyone told me I would have to do someday. I understand exactly where she is, and I'm sure where a lot of seniors are.
I want to give you some advice and encouragement about your upcoming year, seniors. I'm still learning a lot and taking things day by day, but the lessons I've learned in the past six months have made an immeasurable difference on my life here in college.
Advice:
1) I would strongly recommend that you live in a dorm. Yes, it may seem gross - sharing bathrooms with a whole hall, sharing an incredibly small space with a complete stranger, etc. - but it will help you adjust so much faster to the college environment. I'm speaking from experience because I live off campus, and it has been really hard for me. Live in a dorm your first year, and make the most of it. It might just end up being one of your best college memories.
2) I know you will hear five million times from five million different people to get involved... LISTEN TO THEM. They know what they're talking about. You'll meet so many people and have so many new experiences. It will be worth it, trust me.
3) Learn to balance all the things you need/want to do. It's perfectly fine to go out and socialize, as long as you can balance studying, eating, sleeping, going to class, and everything in between with it. You'll figure out what works for you really fast.
4) Take advantage of everything your campus has to offer - classes, professors, rec centers, food, free stuff, studying abroad, etc. This will be the only time in your life that you'll have all those opportunities... go for it!
5) Don't freak out about what your major is going to be. Spend more time learning about who you are and what you like, and you'll find the perfect major for you. The more you stress about it, the more you're going to hate your life. Start learning your likes and dislikes early, that way you won't be trapped in classes that you're miserable in.
6) Don't buy the books for your classes unless you absolutely have to. Trust me. Save yourself some money anyway you can. You're gonna need it.
7) Spend time figuring out who you are. You're in college now. It's all up to you. Don't just follow the ways of everyone else. You can do anything and be anything you want. Figure out what that is for you, and go do it and be it.
Encouragement:
It's okay to be homesick.
You are going to miss your parents, your friends, and your old life so much when you go away to college. You're going to want to cry your eyes out, and it's okay if you do. You're going to want to run home to your mom and dad after the first week. You're going to wish and wish and wish that you could go back to high school, and you're going to hate that you spent your whole four years of high school praying that time would go by faster. It's perfectly fine to feel that way. It's perfectly fine to sit in your room after your days are done and be so upset for the first few nights.
But then you have to pick yourself up and go enjoy your new college life. Go make friends and explore your campus. Go do silly things that you'll look back on and laugh about. Go figure out who you want to be and become it.
You and your high school best friends will grow apart.
At first, this will absolutely break your heart. You'll try to keep in touch, and it's so awesome if you do. But if not, it's perfectly okay. You're living completely separate lives now. They're making new friends, and you're making new friends. It's inevitable that you'll grow apart. That doesn't mean you don't love each other or miss each other. It doesn't even mean that you're not friends anymore. It just means that you're growing up.
Cherish your time with them during breaks. Cherish your short text message conversation. Cherish your phone conversations, no matter how few and far between. Cherish your silly snapchats and twitter mentions. Cherish their friendship, even if it seems distant.
Your appreciation for your parents will be overwhelming.
You don't realize how much your parents do for you until you're not under their protective wings anymore. Of course they will always be there, but you will appreciate them so much more when you're not with them all the time. It will be a treat to go home and get a home-cooked meal and get to hug their necks. It'll also be extremely hard to leave them when it's time to go back. Enjoy every second with them - you'll miss it when you're at college.
It's all going to be okay.
There will be times in your new college life that you feel incredibly overwhelmed and stressed to the max (like even more than you were when you were doing your senior project). You'll feel like the world is caving in when you have 3 tests in the same week. You'll feel like you're having a panic attack when you have no idea how to write a paper or do your homework correctly. You'll want to cry like a baby when you get a test back with a grade that was lower than you expected. You'll feel like you're losing your mind when you can't decide what you want to do with your life. All of this will come at you at once... just know that it's all going to be okay.
Don't sweat the small stuff. It's just a bad day, not a bad life. You'll figure out what you want to do with your life eventually. You will get through weeks that may seem impossible to get through on a Monday. It'll all work out. It always does. And when it does, you'll feel so accomplished for all the effort and hard work you put forth. Just take a deep breath when you're stressed, and remember what your goal is. It will all be worth it in the end.
I hope after reading this, all you seniors are feeling more encouraged about going to college. And for all my reader friends who are already in or have already graduated college, I hope you agree with most of these things. College is such an interesting time in your life. Enjoy it, because once you graduate high school, time really flies by. It's okay to be nervous... it's almost your time to spread those wings and fly!
In Christ,
Morgan
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