"No One Ever Told Me..."

Hello again, my dear readers! I apologize for not writing lately; I have been so bogged down with work in the new semester that it has taken a while to get my creative juices flowing again! But alas, my creative juices have not left me, and here I am writing to you again! A few days after the last time I wrote, I was talking with some friends, discussing how much we all have changed since starting the school year back in September. One of my friends said, "No one ever told me how difficult the transition into college would be. They only told me how exciting the social scene is, and they never shed light on how hard it actually is to adjust to college life." As difficult as it is to believe this, these words are true. Until I really thought about it, I realized that no one that had been through college had ever told me these things. They always just puffed up their college experience into one big party scene from a movie, and talked about all of the friends they instantly made, all of the parties they went to, and all of the fun they had while never missing home or struggling with a class. I came to the conclusion that many people like to just give the highlights; kind of like Facebook statuses- people put the highlights of their lives on Facebook and then their friends comment and tell them what a wonderful life they have when there are everyday highs and lows occuring all the time that they fail to mention. This all goes back to the main reason why I started writing about my college experiences- so you, my readers, could read about the highs, the lows, and everything in between, so you have an accurate picture of college life instead of the same idealisitc image put into my head from various friends, cousins, friends of friends, etc. I'm not saying that college isn't exciting, fantastic, and wonderful. It can be all of those things. But just like real life, other elements sneak their way in sometimes, and it's not always a picture-perfect time. Having said all of this, here are my top three things I want you to know about college: 1. The transition into college is different for everyone- Some people have an easy time getting used to all of the new things that college offers while others struggle for a little while but ultimately find their way. All I can say is that fully adjusting to college happens in due time. Don't think that there is something wrong with you if you aren't at the point yet where you are totally loving every single minute. It will all happen at the time that it's supposed to happen for you. 2. College requires a lot of effort- And I'm not just talking about schoolwork. Everything requires extra effort, from making friends to getting along with your roommate. Once again, the amount of effort exerted depends on the kind of person you are. If you are like me and you are shy, this requires an exhausting amount of effort sometimes! Others, however, may find it easy. Just take your time and do your best, and it will all come together. 3. It's only what you make of it- It sounds so cliche, yet it's so true. As in all things, the experience is only what you make of it. It is not dependent on the actions of other people, but instead on your own actions. If you give little, expect to get little in return. If you give a lot, you will gain much more. As I said when I began this blog, the college experience is such a vaguely defined term. I have learned that the college experience is unique to each individual experiencing it. The question is not, "What is THE college experience?". Rather, it is "What is MY college experience?". What is YOUR college experience? Write to me in the comments below! As always, be sure to follow me on Bloglovin' and Twitter (@universitygirl5), and don't forget to follow me by typing your email into the box in the top right corner of the page. Catch ya next time! -That Honest University Girl