Author: Tom and Jerry

A twenty-three-year-old freshman may not seem like the best source of advice someone might find, but I think I have a unique view that offers some perspective others might not have. I started college late because I was doing one of the other things one can do after high school. After spending four years in the military, I can confidently say to anyone who might be worried about coming into college and the challenges that it brings are the right kind of problems to have. In the military, worries about exams or making friends are replaced by fears of having a corporal who likes to yell and messing up in front of higher leadership. Both of those would get you an earful that would probably include some physical exercise. There was also the culture the military promotes. If you weren’t a drinker before, be prepared to be almost forced to. I know lots of college students say they enjoy drinking, but the military takes it two steps further. Lots of people are forced to chug alcohol on their first weekend they get to their unit, and I was no exception. So, for anyone in their first year of college who thinks they should have gone down the other path, I promise that you are in the right place.

As someone who started college later than most of the people in my class, I felt I would be miles behind everyone. I hadn’t learned any traditional subjects in years and figured that I would be playing nothing but catch up my first year. But that hasn’t been the case. While it took a little bit to get into a groove, once I did, it was like riding a bike. Study strategies and workload distribution came back to me, and I started to do really well. For those who freshman who aren’t coming straight from high school and might be worried about lagging behind, just remember that the life experience you gained during that time will put you ahead in other ways. Whether you took a gap year, worked after high school and are continuing education, or served in the military, I truly believe that no matter when you decide to start or go back to college, there is no greater time than the present.

For many sixteen-year-olds getting their license for the first time, a car feels like freedom. Freedom to go where they want whenever they want. But lately, to me, cars have felt like tiny metal prisons. I count the start and end of my days by crawling into my car for 20 minutes and bearing the task of sharing the highway with hundreds of other cars who all have the same mechanical issue of not being able to reach the speed limit. There was once a time I looked forward to driving; high school me couldn’t wait to get into my six-speed manual sedan and run through the gears on the backroads. I may have been going a little faster than I should have, but I was young and had my version of a Ferrari. I used to look for an excuse to get in my car and drive, and now I look for any excuse not to.

I’m not sure what changed. The destinations remained the same, school, work, and home. But something about the journey has started to sour my view of commuting. Maybe it’s the increased price to fuel those journeys. Or the fact that my beloved stick shift has been replaced by boring SUV.  I feel more and more like a soccer mom with every passing day. Whatever the reason, it’s a necessary evil. After serving my 20-minute prison sentence on Interstate 43, I get to break free from my Chevrolet cell and see my fiancé, who has no idea of my personal hell I just endured to see her. And getting to see her smile at the end of the day makes those seemingly hour-long drives worth it.

College can seem like a scary and daunting world to enter, a new place, new ways of learning, and lots of new people. For most people coming out of high school, there might be high expectations or nervousness heading into their freshman year. But for someone coming from the military, it’s a new beast entirely. I hadn’t been in a school setting in over four years and was rather dreading the idea of coming back home and having to jump right back into it. When I first arrived at boot camp, the drill instructors had a term for the feeling of being in a completely new environment. There is a lot of craziness going on and I didn’t quite know how to react. They called it “culture shock.” I think that best describes my reaction to college so far.

Coming into college I thought that the professors would be no nonsense, strict, drill instructor types who didn’t care much about the individual student. I figured this was the grown-up world and I would be expected to figure it out on my own like I had for the last four years.  But the professors have been very helpful and understanding of everyone’s situation, not just mine. I also thought the workload would be monstrous. I figured I would be spending the entire day after class working on homework and studying, but I’ve struck a very nice balance between school and life. While I definitely experienced that culture shock my first few weeks, I am starting to get into a groove and feel more comfortable while at school.