Freshman life

When I first started college, I expected many things, such as harsh teachers, classes with hundreds of students, a heavy workload, lots of responsibilities, the Freshman fifteen, meeting new people, classes that actually interested me, being part of something greater, and fun clubs and organizations, namely the Chocolate Club, which I will be looking into in the near future.

However, now that my first semester is done, I still have a lot to learn, but I feel wiser nonetheless. I learned college really is what you make of it. I am  a commuter, so meeting people in dorms or in a housing community was not an option. Getting involved on campus was essential for getting to socialize and for the health of my resume. Thanks to this, I met great people and got chances to experience things and get out of my comfort zone.

As a result, I have concluded that college is just the time to get out of your comfort zone and discovering yourself and what you want to do, however cliché that might sound.  

Spring semester is upon us. The start of a new semester is somewhat of a second chance for students. Different classes, new people, the chance to do what you didn't do last semester or to stop doing what you did last semester, if you must, but overall a fresh start.

Yes, spring semester will be glorious. However, I will never, ever forget everything I went through last semester. On my first day of college I managed to get lost trying to find a building and ended up in one of the parking garages. In my defense I wasn't wearing my glasses. Lucky for me, I spotted my O-Teamer and asked for help, and had it not been for that I'd probably still be wandering around campus.

I wish I could say that was the only time I got lost, but that would be a lie. Not to mention the times I sat in the wrong class, I learned to exit the class as soon as I heard it's wrong, instead of sitting through the whole thing to avoid the embarrassment.

 I know that on my part the change has already started. For a freshman like me, spring term is more mature than fall term; you can find your way on campus, have an established group of friends (hopefully) and have been inside the library at least once. This semester for example, I arrived at all my classes an hour early to locate them and avoid getting lost.

By the way, purchasing the books after you've sat in a class for at least two days is a good idea too. You might need to drop it, or the book might be irrelevant, so save time and money. I had to learn this one the hard way.

Here's to a great semester to my fellow freshmen and all of us trying to survive college.