By: Josh Danis
As I reflect on my first semester of college, I find myself grossly humbled by how much I have learned—not only academically but also personally, if not primarily so, in a mere couple months. Coming into my first true sense of independence was a frightening experience. I had always stuck with the same friend group my entire life, without issue. But now, here I was—completely alone, with not a single person who even knew my name. It felt like a chance to start completely over, I could leave behind the mistakes I had thought I’d made in high school. And honestly, I think I did just that: social events, random conversations, I was going above and beyond my normal comfort zone to try and make new friends. Now as I look back I see even more things I’d like to change about myself for the upcoming semester.
One of the least significant adjustments I had to make was the physical move from the environment of high school to that of college. I've always considered myself independent; even in high school, the routine I formed was predictable: wake up, attend classes, do homework, repeat. College didn't change that substantially—only an extra 15-minute walk from my dorm to my class. In fact, I think all things considered, my academic transition went better than one ever could've hoped for. I love my professors; all of them are absolute joys to be around. There have been very few teachers throughout my time in school that genuinely cared for their chosen subject, so to have all of my professors be so enthusiastic about the topics was great for my motivation. It never feels like a chore to be in class. Better yet, my experiences academically opened me up to areas of study I didn't originally intend to pursue; never once in a million years did I think I had it in me to double major in philosophy of all things. Maybe it's just beginner's luck, and maybe the real trouble is only a month away when spring comes around, but from where I'm doing right now things are peachy keen in this regard.
The biggest change for me, the one I’m still adjusting to, has been navigating friend groups, but not in the way I expected. I’ve always prided myself on being good at reading people and matching their energy—or at least, that’s what I like to tell myself. I’ve always relied on that ability to make friends. It’s not the making friends part that I struggle with. My issue is that my high school was as small as could be and filled with people I had known since middle school. Everyone knew everyone, and even if you weren't the closest in the world, you were still pretty close.When I came to Berry, it wasn’t like that at all. Sure, I make friends easily, but with a lot of the people I meet, I only know them as passing acquaintances, and that feels strange to me. I do have a friend group that I hang out with, a group I’d consider myself genuinely close to, but it almost feels like I’ve found a unicorn or a needle in a haystack. If it’s lost, I’d be more than a little screwed. So, I start to psych myself out: "What if I don’t put in enough effort and we start to grow apart?" It sounds crazy writing it out, but it’s a genuine worry that pops up sometimes. It definitely made me realize that maybe I was a little sheltered as a kid.
In conclusion, my first semester of college was perhaps both better and worse than I thought. Being a creature of routine, I've adapted to my responsibilities more than well enough. Though where I've excelled in some areas, I get my butt whooped in others, and the travel from home has made me miss the familiarity of it all more than I'd care to admit. That being said, I love my friends, my teachers, and my life in college. I've got it made.
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