Being a new student in a new place can be terrifying. It took you four years to learn everything there is to know about high school, and now you have to start at the bottom again. Thankfully, there are more positives to look for in college than negatives. Read on to learn what to expect from being a freshman in college.
Lots of New Connections
Colleges and universities have thousands of more students than you had in high school. You may even be transitioning from a small high school with 100 students at the most to a campus with over 20,000 students. It can be overwhelming, but take a step back and remember that you will make lifelong friends in that surge of people. You likely won’t encounter them walking around, but be open in your dorm, your classes, and some organizations, and you’ll soon end up with connections that you’ll cherish forever.
New Campuses
Moving from high school to college or university can be a big jump, and part of what makes that jump so scary is the new campus. These institutions accommodate thousands of students, and as a result, they require bigger campuses, more stores, and many more amenities. One example of how campuses differ from high schools is that the institution manages its advanced security measures. College campuses have multiple buildings, and there are many open areas for incidents, including dark corners of less-frequented buildings. Campuses install better lighting systems, security cameras, and communication technology so that you can be safe wherever you go.
Feeling Lost
This point may seem negative, but it’s something everyone feels, and it’s the only way to scope out what you want from your college experience. Everyone goes into college with expectations of what you want to be and do, and then the weight of everything comes crashing down. There are so many choices and potential roads to go down that you’ll feel incredibly lost and unsure of yourself. Thankfully, you can explore those different avenues without committing yourself to anything. Doing this ensures that the path you end up going down is the right one for you.
There’s a lot to expect from being a freshman in college, and most of them are positives! You’ll need to get out of your shell and look at the world a little differently, but by doing so, you’ll quickly end up a senior or graduate wondering how it went by so fast. Be sure to stop and smell the roses every once in a while, and you’ll see that being a freshman is easy.