After years of experiencing “Friday night lights,” trudging from room to room for classes, seeing your best friends every day, and going home after school, you’re finally in college and nothing is the same. Instead, you’re now spending Saturdays at The Rock, sprinting from the LAB to Walker Science building in under ten minutes, not knowing most of the people around you, and finally crawling back to your dorm (that you share with someone you probably do not know too well). Welcome home for the next four years.
I would have never imagined myself truly missing the routine that my high school gave me. I missed block schedule, dancing at pep rallies and seeing people I actually knew, especially my favorite teachers. I was never one to truly fall in love with the setting of high school, but it was comfortable- and that is something I will always love and cherish.
Comfort is not only important when buying shoes, but also when it comes to how I feel. I am a true sucker for sticking in my comfort zone. I have been following the same schedule since tenth grade and seeing mostly the same people every day since kindergarten.
Each person’s specific college transition is a bit different. For me, my first week was utterly terrifying. I knew two people, and was not the best at making friends- only because I am shy. I was super homesick; after all, the longest I had been away from my family was about three consecutive days for a high school dance camp. I missed (and still do) my dog. Oh, and not to mention: the flu was spreading like wildfire throughout the dorms.
The following week was equally as hard as the first. Although I was finally acclimated to my new surroundings, I was still getting used to swiping my card every time I wanted to go get in my bed or even leave the complex to go to class. Making all the hikes to classes in the rain was miserable and excruciatingly painful when I wore the wrong socks with some tennis shoes, and I have the blisters to prove it. Oh and let us not forget how anxiety inducing the day of the consecutive tornado warnings was.
However, week three has opened me up to why my dad always tells me that “college is the time of your life.” After dropping sorority recruitment for personal reasons, I ended up signing a snap bid, and meeting some great people. I was hired by the Student Printz, which has been a dream of mine since I decided on pursuing my collegiate career at Southern Miss. I got to experience my first Southern Miss football game in the student section and my first time tailgating in the District as well. I realized that if I wanted to start having a good time, I needed to understand that I had to make things happen for myself, and I could not just expect other people to make it happen for me.
