5 Things I’ve Learned About College

5 Things I’ve Learned About College

 

Loyola Convocation

  1. Be Open Minded and Embrace Change First things first, going to college brings a lot of changes into your life-which I’m sure you already knew. You’ll be away from home, be making new friends, have a new home and may even be in a new city- see, lots of change! During this time, take advantage of all these changes, because you never know what you’ll end up learning about yourself and the people around you. Also during college you’re going to meet people who are different from you in all types of ways- and those interactions, specifically, will help you learn more about yourself and the person you want to be in ways that you could never imagine.

 

  1. It’s okay to Not Have a Major College is truly the place where you get a chance to figure out who you want to be- whether that is a career decision, or not. While college counselors and your parents may make it seem like you NEED to know exactly what you’re studying, it’s not completely true. Use your freshman year to explore areas of interest to you, so you can eventually figure out what you want to study. But just be careful, because eventually it’ll become hard to switch majors. And for those of you who already have a major, just know that it’s okay to switch majors once starting college! It may seem like a shameful deed, but this is your future- so do what makes you HAPPY! I started at Loyola with a journalism major, from there I switched twice more. Right now, though, I’m studying something that I truly enjoy!

 

  1. You’re Going to Have Lots of Freedom HALLELUJAH! But seriously, you’re going to be living on your own, and for most of you, it’ll be your first time! While living on your own is a learning experience on it’s own, having this new freedom is going to feel liberating… which means that you might forget that there won’t be anyone telling you to do your homework. So, embrace the freedom, and have fun but also find a balance between academics and your social life.

 

  1. Get Involved  This is important- you MUST get involved. Not because you want to write it on your resume, but because it will allow you to grow and really get the most out of your college experience. By joining clubs and different organizations, you’ll get to meet people you might have not normally met and you never know, you might even make a friend along the way! And not to mention, getting involved will also allow you to find your family away from home, which will definitely help make your college experience one of the best.  For me, the clubs and organizations that I’ve became involved with introduced me to my closest friends, people who I wouldn’t have met if it hadn’t been for the club–that’s just one example of the benefit of getting involved!

 

  1. The Years Go FAST This is true. Your freshman year will zoom by, trust me, and so will the years following. The experience can be challenging, but definitely fun- so make sure to make the most of it in all ways possible. Make memories in all ways possible, because when you look back, these four years will be some of the best in your life. ​As I write this, I can’t help but wonder how my time at Loyola will come to an end soon– it’s sad, but these years have held some of the best memories for me!

Foram Patel

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