My First Semester of College
“First semester treated us so good.”
My friend Lucas sent that to my group chat of friends as I wrap up studying for my botany final tonight before I leave for winter break. Reflecting on the thought, I would agree that my first semester of college did treat me well. Career fairs, rush, exams, barn dances and everything in between have all culminated. As a nostalgic person, I look at back at photos and videos and get sad easily over the fact that I won’t get those moments back. YET! How cool is it that I got to experience those things, and I’m only 1/8th of the way. At this point, I can feel certain that I am exactly where I should be, studying what I love, and spending time with people that have helped shape my new home. I know that not everyone can say that about their first semester of college, but all experience grows us and leads us to learn more about who we want to become. Don’t get me wrong, this semester has been filled with an equal amount of triumphs, mistakes, and scares. One of the first things I struggled with was giving myself grace for not having it all together. As the semester drew on, sometimes I felt like I would take a step forward and then take two steps back. From all the steps I’ve taken, this is what I want to share:
You can’t expect to have it all together
Coming from high school, I showed up in my perfectly shopped for dorm with all my expectations and maybe a few too many clothes. Quickly after all the fun settled down and school began to pick up, I quickly learned that my perfectly-pieced-together high school self did not know everything. I thought that college would be easy, that I would be able to do all the things, and manage my time well as I had in the past. Funny. I remember calling my mom freaking out over boys, grades, priorities, and my sleep schedule. Gently, she reminded me that I had only been in college for two months and needed to chill. Truly, as hard as it is to give up personal expectations of yourself, sometimes as you learn new things and let the pace of life sweep you up, you have to step back to sacrifice the pressure of having it all together.
People make the place
Starting school, I decided to rush a sorority. Neither of my parents were in greek life in college, so all knowledge I had of the process was from my friends who rushed and TikTok. Let me just say, rush is not for the weak. The first two weekends of the semester consisted of conversations with hundreds of girls, playing dress up, and walking, occasionally running, from house to house. Although exhausting, it was rewarding when I ran home (literally) to my sorority on bid day. The initial plunge of sorority life and rush was a lot, and I questioned if it was right for me even after recruitment. I worried if I fit in, if I would make meaningful friendships, and if I could have a life outside of being greek. As I write this now I sit by the fire in my sorority house, with something that is constantly said here ringing in my head. “It’s the people that make the place.” Meeting people in college can feel like drinking from a firehose, and it can take awhile to realize who will be a good friend to you. Once you do find good friends, those people make college feel 100x more amazing. It took time for me to find people who felt like home and to be vulnerable with them. If I could go back and tell August Meghan anything, it would be that discovering meaningful friendships doesn’t happen instantaneously and feeling lonely or missing friends from home is okay and normal. Trust God’s timing.
Balance
Growing up my dad always reminded me about balance. “Too much of a good thing is a bad thing” he would say. About midway through the semester I found myself running thin. If you know me, you know that I will throw myself at anything and everything. Despite becoming involved in a bunch of things on campus and making new friends, all of which were good things, I was slipping beneath the water. The first semester of college showed me more about issues I’ve always struggled with, like feelings of being everything to everyone all the time, and reminding myself that it’s okay to say no. But I didn’t think that’s what college was for!? Well, my dad’s words were still true, and applied to me as much as my agricultural communication seminar. As this semester ends, I look at the next one as an opportunity to do better about balancing homework, friends, sleep, work, and other activities. My dad and I have discussed how balance is a constant battle when there is a lot going on, but the more it’s done, the easier it gets.
So many people have told me if they could go back to college they would. I know now that soon enough 1/8 will turn in 5/8 and then 8/8. I certainly am not one to wish time away, and my thoughts here are just the pieces of my mind that I’m thankful to have grown in this first go around. SO YAY FIRST SEMESTER!!! Now back to studying for botany.
Best,
Meg
