College Survival Series: Finding Your Place

The College Survival Series introduces and discusses different aspects of college life, and aims to prepare college students for all situations they might encounter during their college career.

Finding Your Place

It's August, which means most college kids are gearing up to move back into their residence halls for the fall semester. For first year students, this can be a scary time. It's the last few weeks they'll be spending at home, surrounded by family and friends that they've spent their whole lives with. Some are moving away from home for the first time, sharing a room for the first time, and most are going to a school solo without a familiar face in sight.

The thought of finding your place when you don't know a soul can be daunting, but the important thing to remember is that you're not alone, even if you feel like you are. Many other college freshmen are in the same boat - far from home, not one friend coming with them, and just as scared as you are. Here are a few tips to get you through your first scary weeks of college.



1. GO TO ORIENTATION! I can not stress this enough. Every college hosts an orientation program for incoming students during the summer, and this is a great way to make friends, familiarize yourself with campus, ask any questions you might have about campus life, and get a taste of what you'll be experiencing in the fall. If you missed your summer orientation, a lot of schools offer an abridged version of orientation when you move in. Contact your college's student activities office (they're normally in charge of orientation!) to get more details and sign up!

2. Join clubs, teams, or other organizations that interest you. Student organizations are always looking for new members, and chances are if you join one that interests you, you'll meet other students that you have a lot in common with.

3. Leave your door open. (While you're in your room and decent, of course!) At least for the first few weeks. I can't tell you the number of people I met just by doing this. I would say hello to anyone who'd walk by, and sometimes people would poke their head in and introduce themselves. My friends and I would always play video games in my room, and so many other students dropped in to join us!

4. Go to class. This is kind of a given (being that it's the entire point of going to college), but meeting and interacting with your classmates is very important. These are the people that you can study with, the people that can help you with your assignments if you're stuck, and in reality, the people that you're going to be seeing the most often throughout your time at college.

5. Keep an open mind.  College is not high school. You're going to meet people from all walks of life with all sorts of personalities and opinions. These are not the people that you've spent your whole life with and know like the back of your hand. You're going to meet people with conflicting ideas, beliefs, and lifestyles. The key is to keep an open mind. Try your best to listen and learn from others, and you might even learn something about yourself in the process!