What I learned my first week of college

Two weeks ago I embarked on the adventure of a lifetime and moved to Greenville, Illinois to start my college experience. This past week was my first week of classes and let me tell you, I've learned a lot. While I've only been in class for a week, I'll admit I'm no expert, but there are a few things I've learned this week that I feel are interesting bits about college life that some may not expect. 

1. When they say you're an adult now, they're not kidding. 

I guess I assumed that the first week would be filled with people offering to help me in any way possible. I didn't know where anything was, what the dining commons hours were, how to add or drop a class, how the laundry room works, or even when chapel was offered. I had so many questions and hardly any answers. It became quickly clear that part of the college experience is figuring things out on your own, even if that means wandering up and down Prairie Street for 20 minutes looking for a church on Sunday. I now realize that if I have questions, ASK! And do that as soon as possible because college waits for no one and you will be left behind on the metro in St. Louis (yes this really happened to someone on our freshman trip). 

2. I'm not a social butterfly and you don't have to be either

I'd taken all the personality tests in high school and it seemed clear that I was an extrovert and I really believed that I was, that is, until I got here. I've loved all the events that the college has planned for us to get the freshman mingling and more familiar with campus, however; I definitely needed to set aside time for myself and I now realize that's perfectly okay. At first I felt guilty about skipping out on an event to hang out with just my small group of friends or even by myself, but it's so important to be able to recharge yourself in order to be the healthiest version of yourself. The truth is, not all of us are outgoing and the events colleges plan aren't meant for everyone all the time. Going to some school sponsored events is important but it's not the sole reason you're there and it's equally important to take care of yourself and have fun in the best way you know how. 

3. I like homework and that's a good thing 

I'm not going to lie, I didn't actually hate homework in high school and I was excited to get my first piece of homework in college. It may sound crazy but I chose to go onto higher education for the education part not the social aspect or the cultural right of passage. Crazy I know! But it's true, I came here to get a degree in order to prepare myself for the future; and therefore, the schooling aspect is incredibly important to me. While I loved all the orientation events that were planned, having a schedule was a welcomed change and working on homework that I know is preparing me for my career is exciting! College is supposed to be fun but it's also about learning a skill that will last you a lifetime 

4. Don't be afraid to change your life plan 

So I came here planning majoring in digital media with an emphasis on film. I had my entire life planned out and I wasn't letting anyone tell me any differently. Then one night it hit me. I didn't want my whole life to be about creativity. While I love making movies I didn't want the pressure of making something crowd pleasing ruin my passion and excitement for that art. I decided to change my major after just two days of classes and am now studying history and secondary education and I'm well aware that my life plan may very well change again. I came here afraid of change but now realize that change is perhaps  the best part of life. It allows us to open up new doors that we never noticed before. Rather than fighting it or being afraid of it, embracing change is the best option, because once you do the happiness is overwhelming.