Up until the moment you enter the building for the first time, “the college experience” is a phrase of endless possibilities. No one ever gives you a clear understanding of what it means, or what college will be like. Everyone’s experience differs greatly, but there is one thing that unifies us all, the exposure. The exposure to new ideas, people, and resources. It is as if you are a fish placed outside of water; rushing to adapt and familiarize yourself with this huge scope of reality you are now a part of. Along the way, you make friends and meet people who have walked in your shoes and slowly the setting that seemed so overwhelming in size and context starts to feel like home. Your anxieties subside as you begin to transition into the world as an individual. Having unique experiences aiding your potential to succeed. This is what “the college experience” holds for me, new friends and new anxieties. But although classes are harder now and it is difficult to adjust to the workload and time manage that is required of you, it is always pleasant to feel that you are not alone. That your new friends and peers share your worries and with each others help you somehow manage to break out of your comfort zone. Quickly finding yourself experiencing life beyond school, as you are urged to establish your own unique path. But in the end, it is the sense of new beginning that college brings that allows for the confidence to know that it will all be okay.
