The early college days

There isn’t anything comparable to those first few weeks, to that excitement, to that amazement—so be ready!

I remember quite clearly how upset I was last May when my freshman year was over. When I arrived at Carolina, I was so surprised to find that anyone ahead of me in years was jealous of me. I had been afraid they’d look at me like I looked at freshmen in high school as a senior—naïve and immature. College wasn’t at all like high school. The upperclassmen had experienced something that I hadn’t yet: Carolina. They knew I had four amazing years ahead of me, years that were but a memory to them.

That first month or so of school was indescribably amazing, and made me realize just why these upperclassmen had reason to be jealous of a lowly freshman. There’s no way I could ever try and articulate the experience—you’ll have yours soon enough (and now I’m jealous of you!), but I can recount some of the things that struck me when I first came up here that were a little tough or surprising.

A lot of people complain that the hardest thing to get used to is the challenging classes at Carolina, finding your way around, and finding a place where you fit in. Coming from an extremely prestigious high school program, the difficulty of the classes really wasn’t an issue, maps help, and I had no trouble making friends.

My difficulties arose in learning how to structure my time. There is SO MUCH to do here that there are hardly enough hours in the day. Between keeping grades up, meeting friends, going out at night, participating in events (free food ones are the best), 8:00 a.m. classes (which you shouldn’t take if at all possible), taking naps, joining organizations, and eating…well you can see how 24 hours could be lacking. All of these things coupled with the overwhelming excitement and even melancholy I felt from being away from home and any rules—well it was difficult. We all make it through that first month or so, though, and I would imagine that this experience is the same at any other college (although nowhere near as sweet, I’m sure?).

So I just made sure I talked to my mom a lot, and I prioritized everything I had to do. Schoolwork was the most important thing—and I fear that many freshmen forget that and don’t do so well their first semester. All the freedom can be tough to deal with, but you have to remain level-headed and focused. Although college is so much more than academics, that’s its primary purpose, and you have to remember that always, or you’ll be in trouble.

One of the greatest things that came out of that first month or so that was surprising was the relationship that grew between me and my mother. I left and gained this immense independence, and all of a sudden, she became one of my best friends. She understood that she had done all she could to raise me right, so the best thing she could do for me while I was away was be there as a friend. Your relationship with your family will change dramatically when you leave—and sometimes that’s hard to deal with. My experience was fantastic, though, and quite surprising, to say the least.

Lastly, I was very surprised at how easy it was to live with a roommate. I went potluck, and got very lucky. My roommate has become one of my best friends, and I couldn’t ask for a better person to share a room with. I’m an only child and had consequently never before had to share a room with anyone, so I was a little scared thinking about having to share and live in such a small space with someone. It worked out perfectly, though, and I roomed with her my sophomore year as well (though only for this first semester, because I’ll be spending my next one in AUSTRALIA!).

Anyways, you’re gonna love it, trust me. I can’t even begin to explain. There may be a few setbacks, but those will be coupled with wonderful things you would have never expected. There isn’t anything comparable to those first few weeks, to that excitement, to that amazement—so be ready! And I promise it isn’t downhill after freshman year; I’ve learned that this year. In fact, you just get more comfortable and have more fun. But there’s something about that first month that you can’t ever quite recapture, so enjoy it while you can.