Author: garisr16

The main reason I decided to go away to school was so I could gain independence. My mom has held my hand through my whole life and I wanted to experience living on my own. I looked forward to making my own decisions and exploring what I can do with my life. I remember I couldn’t wait to move away and do my own thing, but I didn’t realize how challenging it would be. Learning how to navigate everyday activities such as leaving early enough to get to all my classes on time and eating dinner that isn’t junk food has been a lot harder than I expected. I’m so used to my mom and other people around me knowing my schedule, it’s sometimes tricky to keep up with it all by myself. Things like getting to bed at a decent time and setting aside time for myself has made my college experience a lot smoother.

Although it’s been hard adjusting, I’ve really enjoyed being able to take control of my own life. Not having to ask before I go anywhere, or tell my parents my every move has made me feel a sense of freedom I never had before. The responsibility of doing my homework, keeping up with sports, keeping my dorm clean, and all the other small things of living on your own have made me a lot more responsible than I ever was before. I hate to admit it, but I used to be pretty lazy. I would get my school work done and go to practice, but I didn’t do much of anything else. Living on my own has given me no choice but to grow up and get things done. I’ve already noticed such a change in my determination and willingness to do more than just the minimum and I have being my own boss to thank for that. 

Source: Tampa Therapy

My view of college my whole life was that it was a fun, carefree time. The movies I watched growing up always showed kids having fun and going on adventures. My mom warned me that college wasn’t going to be just a fun, laid back experience, but I didn’t expect it to be as stressful as it is. My main priority being here is school, and finding that balance with the fun aspects of college has been something I’ve had to get used to. One of my biggest challenges has been finding the time and motivation to get everything done. It can get really stressful juggling so many things at once. A struggle I have is stressing over everything I have to do instead of sitting down and planning how I can get it all done. 

Overall, I’d say my biggest stressor is feeling overwhelmed. I am constantly thinking about my classwork, my schedule, what I have to do tomorrow, dance, and more. Even though I enjoy having a lot to do, it can be hard navigating it all at once. Trying to plan when I’m going to do my homework around the times I have practice and other activities has been challenging for me. I tend to stress about my class work and other things I have to do because I worry I will run out of time to do it. Being undecided, exploring potential majors and career paths has also been a recent stressor of mine. Looking into different options has been overwhelming because I’m interested in multiple things. Having to deal with all of these things at once has helped me be able to work through them. The adaptation of college life has been stressful, but I am confident it will get easier with time.

Source: The Yellow Jacket

Just a short year ago, the word college would send a chill down my back. I always knew I wanted to go to college, but the thought used to terrify me. I’ve always been an extrovert ready to try new things and meet new people, but thinking about college made me act a different way. I always had my friends, or at least one, ready to try to new things with me. Before school started, I was faced with overwhelming thoughts of am I ready for this? The workload, dorm life, time management, and even doing my laundry alone were all going to be new to me. Imagining juggling everything at once scared me and I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to handle it all. I feel like my parents have always held my hand though everything and I was nervous to figure it out on my own.

Now a year later, it’s crazy to compare my predictions with my experiences. While college isn’t at all how I expected, it hasn’t been bad. I’ve had my moments such as getting lost or locked out of my room, but overall, I’ve been surviving. My workload is a lot lighter than I expected. I didn’t realize that I would be able to choose how I spend my time as much as I’m able to. I’m starting to get used to my new schedule with dance and classes and I am surprised how easy it’s been. I have found a good balance between schoolwork and my social life, which is probably the most shocking thing to me. I wasn’t expecting to have so much freedom and it’s nice to be the one in charge of myself.

Source: Pootlepress