College Life – It’s A Different World

Think back to your first year in middle school or junior high. Do you remember how you felt as a freshman in high school? You probably wondered what your classes would be like and whether you’d get stuck with the English teacher no one wanted. You may have been worried about getting lost on campus and looking like a freshman. It is likely, that you will experience some of those same feelings as a college freshman, but there is a difference.

The difference is that you are no longer considered a kid, but now a young adult. You not only have a choice in whether you will attend class, but also the professor from whom you want to take the class. In high school, you could stay after class and speak to your teachers or just drop in between classes. In college, if you want to speak with your professor, you will most likely need to do it during their office hours. While you probably knew most of the students in your high school biology or algebra class, you may not know anyone in your freshman biology class or college algebra class. In fact, if you attend a large university, you may have anywhere from 500 to 1000 students in certain classes. My freshman biology class had 1200 students!

I can remember the first time I visited the Florida State University Campus. It seemed larger than life, and I thought I would never find my way around. The orientation specialist seemed to be speaking another language – meal plans, Gordon rule requirements, drop and add period. It was overwhelming, to say the least. I was not only intimidated by the size of the campus, but what it stood for. Independence. Maturity. Life-changing decisions. Even though I felt nervous, anxious, excited, and afraid, it was a good feeling. I knew that I was about to embark on a journey that would challenge who I was and help me to become the individual I wanted to be.

Anyone who has ever been to college will tell you that your college years will be some of the best years of your life-and, they are right. Nothing you have done prior to college will compare to your college experience, and nothing you do after will be anything like it. Once it is over, you probably won’t remember most of the lessons you learned in your classes. But, you will remember the lessons you learned about yourself.

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