Transitioning Into College Life: My Story

By: Sammy Bellisario

Lifestyle columnist for The Stories We Need to Hear

As a recent college graduate I have spent the past half of the year since graduation reflecting on all of the amazing opportunities and memories that my four year university brought to me. Entering college was such an exciting but daunting time in my life. For most young adults, college is the first taste of freedom and adulthood. College for me was a great opportunity to branch out from high school and work on myself as a young adult away from my parents. I completely dove into not only my academics, which I wasn’t as dedicated to in high school, but also my social life and involvement on campus. In high school I regretted not getting as involved as I would have liked to. The great thing about college is that there are so many opportunities to pursue clubs and organizations that you’re passionate about without the pressure of diversifying yourself for college applications. In high school it was always a competition of who could have the most extracurriculars to show colleges and once I got to college I realized that I only had to join extracurriculars if I really felt strongly about dedicating my time to it.

One of the biggest struggles I endured when starting college was feelings of homesickness, anxiety, and my general health. As an only child I had never been away from my family and had grown very attached to them over my 18 years of life. I also had a boyfriend at the time I entered college which added another level of stress and loneliness being aware that he wasn’t going to be there with me when I needed him. The best advice I have for dealing with homesickness and college anxiety is to keep yourself as busy as possible while still allowing yourself to rest when necessary. The first few weeks of college I was depressed and anxious because I allowed myself to sit in bed and be upset and continue to call my friends and family at home multiple times a day. Once I let go and realized I needed to get involved and get my mind off of my life at home, things improved immensely for me. I started getting involved in my sorority, hanging out with friends in my dorm, and tried to limit calling my family and friends to only a few times a week. I quickly realized that I was making amazing memories and that I wasn’t missing much at home.

There are so many decisions to make early on in college but the great thing is that there are four years to grow from them. I had an almost completely different friend group freshman year than I ended up with at the end of senior year. Just like high school, I found myself growing with the people I was meant to be friends with and going my separate ways from those I didn’t feel were right to be in my life. 

The first person most college freshmen meet is their roommate. I went into freshman year knowing my roommate already because our parents were friends. We didn’t grow up in the same town so there was still a lot to learn about her. I was lucky that she was a great roommate and the 3 girls we shared a bathroom with also grew pretty close to us. It’s important to remember that by no means does your roommate have to be your best friend. My roommate and I got along well, but we still found our own friend groups that we meshed best with. If you don’t end up liking your roommate it definitely isn’t the end of the world!

The way that I kept social freshman year outside of my roommates was by bonding with the people who lived on my dorm floor as well as joining a sorority and meeting people in my classes. My floor was co-ed so I was able to meet many great men and women throughout the year. I was shy at first, but overtime our floor got really close and our resident advisor scheduled a lot of social events for us to meet and bond during. The college that I went to was big on greek life and although initially I wasn’t sure it was right for me, I found a sorority that I felt fit my personality, and was able to build great friendships through that experience.

Sororities and fraternities are not for everyone. If you are thinking about trying out greek life I recommend giving it a chance. If you aren’t sure it is right for you there are so many other ways to get involved and build close relationships with people on campus. I do recommend getting involved in some form of organization or club. “Quad Day” is something that happens at most schools and allows you to explore the organizations that your school has to offer. I went to a very large school so Quad Day was a bit overwhelming. I made time to look at my school’s list of organizations and clubs after Quad Day to better determine what I was interested in pursuing. 

One of the most important parts of college is deciding on a course of study. I entered my freshman year as an undeclared major because I was in between choosing a general business degree or an advertising degree which was a different program at my school. I took this time to start exploring classes that I would be taking in each major to better prepare myself for when it was time to apply to a program. I ended up choosing advertising and was very happy with my choice. Not everyone has that smooth of a transition into their major. Many of my friends and classmates changed their majors numerous times but still ended up in a field they were content with in the end. It’s important to remember that if you are unsure what to study there is nothing wrong with staying as an undeclared major until you make your decision. From age 18 to 22 there are so many changes going on in our lives and it would be ridiculous to be expected not to change at any point during those 4 years. I would recommend exploring all the options of what you may be interested in, weighing the pros and cons (including how long that degree might take/ if the courses are something you think you could handle and enjoy). Don’t feel pressured into choosing a field of study because of friends and family. Your college experience is all about you and your future happiness.

I’m elated for anyone transitioning into college life. College really is the best 4 years, and in my opinion much more exciting than high school. You're going to see so much growth in yourself than you ever would have expected. Be kind to yourself and remember that it will be a journey but will shape you into a flourishing individual. You have the rest of your life ahead of you, but those pivotal years in college are irreplaceable. Make the most of what you learn, the friendships you create, and the memories you experience.