It could only get better. Just stick it out. Try to make the best of it. Give it a little time.
I heard so many encouragement phrases during my freshman year, I could single-handedly put Hallmark out of business. My first few weeks at Fairfield University were much like something you would see on a cheesy WB sitcom. I was the very confused, very lost freshman girl with frizzy hair that the viewers cannot help but pity.
At first, I blamed all of my tragic mishaps on rotten luck. Perhaps the planets were misaligned during those weeks or maybe I was cursed with bad karma, but everything just seemed to go so wrong.
I had unreasonably hard professors, a difficult living situation, and a demanding work-study position. Most of all, I just missed home, and this is coming from a girl who could not wait to get out of Smalltown, USA and greet the real world.
Bubbly, friendly, and usually optimistic, I could not understand why all this was happening to me. I quickly acquired transfer applications. My conclusion was that if it wasn’t me, it had to be the school.
I originally dismissed those encouraging phrases I received from family and friends as utter nonsense. After all, they hadn’t the slightest clue what I was going through. However, it did not take long until I began to discover the wisdom each little phrase held.
“Making the best of it” and “giving it a little time” were perhaps some of the best things I could do at the moment. One thing was clear: running away from Fairfield was not the answer.
I was so anxious to leave, but as time went by, it began to feel more and more like my home. I made a few really good friends, joined several organizations, and simply just “stuck it out.”
As I grew closer to other freshmen, it came to my attention that feeling like a spastic mess was totally normal, and lucky for me and the rest of the former freshman class, it does eventually pass with the arrival of “sophomoredom.”
Adjustment is by far the largest juggernaut a freshman faces. Whether it is adjusting to a plane ride back home or simply adjusting to wearing shower flip flops, the road may be or overwhelmingly bumpy.
One’s adjustment period has the powerful potential to make or break his or her college experience. I use myself as an example: I almost transferred as a result of a rocky adjustment period. Recognizing that homesickness will eventually pass or your philosophy professor will not gobble you up if you ask for extra help during office hours are little things that will make the transition smoother.
Likewise, getting involved is an excellent way to pass the time, explore your interests, and meet new people. Combat your jitters by staying active. Finally, focus on the positive. So, you may be struggling a bit, but at least you are growing stronger.
Although my adjustment period was both trying and even distressing at times, the bottom line is not only did I make it through alive, but I actually adore college – and all the ups and downs that come with it.
Remarkably, I am grateful for my horrific first year because I had taken more strides in the period of a year than I had my whole life. I am no longer the awkward girl bumbling to class! Moreover, freshman year is an experience, and although it can be tumultuous, I am living proof that those cliché encouragement phrases are absolutely true: it does get easier with time, if you make the best of it.
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