Carry on Wayward [Daughter]

All of senior year, it seemed as if every teacher had only one thing in common to say: “Prepare yourselves now, because everything changes in college.” I distinctly remember hearing any variation of these words come out of every single teacher’s mouth, whether I had their class or not. I recall looking over at my friend and rolling my eyes, not understanding what they were talking about. We all thought the same thing. We had AP classes, right? Weren’t those just college courses taught in high school? What did they all mean, we would have more homework? It was unfathomable at that point that anyone could ever assign more homework than we were given in our classes. How could friendships change drastically enough to be eradicated? Was it really possible to miss being at home enough to actually want to go home every weekend? These were the amassing questions, the list growing in every direction as more and more people piled information and advice on us. Who knew that quite a few of them would be answered within the first two weeks after classes started?


Many things about coming to college have been turning out to be just as amazing and liberating as were imagined. I spent the entire summer after graduating from high school in eager anticipation of what was to come. I would be moving out of the house and living in a dorm where I would not only have to share a room, but said room would also be much smaller than the one I was accustomed to having all to myself. On top of this, there would be no parents around to watch your every move as you make it. If you didn’t want to tell them something, it was perfectly acceptable not to. Most everyone would be adults and relatively in charge of their own lives. We would get to choose when to go to dinner, with whom to go to dinner, and what to eat for dinner. There would be no reprimanding for coming back to the room past midnight on a school night when the next day held an 8 A.M. class.


I feel that college life so far has been extremely paradoxical. Not only are all the aforementioned things blessings, but they have also been proven to be curses. Unlike high school, the schedule here isn’t nearly as structured. We do not have to sit through six different classes every single day for one hour each. We are also provided a control over which courses we want to take in the semester and can choose the timing according to our own preferences. One of the hardest things about high school had been the ungodly hour at which classes had started. By nature, I am a night owl, preferring to do most of my work during the afternoon and evening hours. Tech allowed me to select classes that were better suited to my time preferences, allowing me to have most of my mornings free to leisurely get ready for classes and finish up any remaining homework. Another amazing thing about college is most definitely the fact that every one lives so close by. Last week, I had some difficulty understanding what I needed to do for my Chemistry homework due the next day. Had I still been in high school, I would have had to call someone up, try to get them to help me over the phone, or actually drive over to their house to get the help. However, the only thing I had to do that day was to walk over to the study/lounge area on my floor and ask if anyone had the same Chemistry class as me. Immediately, three girls shouted ‘yes’ and asked if I needed any help.


Unfortunately, there have also been many very difficulties in adjusting to college life. One of the hardest things (and one I am still struggling with) is how much we have to walk every single day. Back home all that needed to be done was to hop in a car and drive over to the school. Living on a campus that is not only huge but also in the middle of the city has definitely proven to be a challenge. It was hard to wrap my mind around the idea that I wouldn’t be able to just go on a late might walk if I wanted to. Unlike my neighborhood at home, the area surrounding the Tech campus is not very safe at all. And I never thought I would miss my family as much as I do. It may have been very annoying when my mother would keep tabs on me at all times during high school, but now I understand why she had done that. It is truly not a good idea to come home past midnight on a weekday, something I figured out the hard way just this week.


As a whole, I believe most freshmen go through these same exact situations and realizations. Everyone gets feeling of nostalgia as they are sitting in the dining hall looking down at the shady looking burger and fries on their plate. Most, if not all, have to work on their time management, because college is not at all as easy as high school. Naturally, there are always some differences. Unlike students who have come to this school from another state—or even another country—I already have a network set up among my peers. Not only do I know many students in the freshman class, but I am also acquainted with upperclassmen, be they from my high school or friends of the family. This already set web of support definitely makes the transition a much smoother one.


Have all the questions that had arisen during the span of senior year been answered? Of course not. However, many are on their way to being answered while others are just being proven to be ridiculous notions. While these first two weeks have been hectic and jam packed with new information and adjustments, it is only the beginning.