For most of us, college is a special time. Perhaps for the first time ever, we get to experience the unbridled freedom of adulthood while still being afforded the tether of financial support. Without parental supervision, a new student might feel inclined to do anything and everything, if only as an experiment. Other students might feel frightened and lonely without the support and comfort of their loved ones.
In either case, I hope to convince you that college is, indeed, a time that can be very exciting and adventuresome. But as with anything, there are many more wrong ways of doing it than right ways.
I’ll first address those who are worried about whether they’ll make it.
The first thing to keep in mind is you’ll make it. Just take a deep breath and trust me on this one. Things will fall into place a lot more easily than you think. If you’re lonely, get to know your neighbors and roommates. Visit various club meetings and get to know people with similar interests. Talk to strangers in class. Most people aren’t so bad once you get to talking with them.
If you want to go the student organization route and you’re not sure where to start, the Involvement Team on the third floor of the Reitz Union can help you. Interested in sports or yoga? There’s plenty of that through RecSports.
There’s so much to do, so many open paths for you to wander through and explore. And if it ends up being a problem, maybe take a boyfriend/girlfriend sabbatical for a little while.
Next I’ll address those who are already raring for adventure and want to experiment and experience paths, guns blazing. A word of caution: Research everything. Really delve in, and research the physical effects and dangers of whatever it is that you’re wanting to do, be it sex, alcohol or otherwise. Carelessness has been the root of too many of my own failures here in college.
Like I said before, be elegant about it. There’s a way to have fun without ruining everyone else’s fun. In fact, if they find you fun, they’ll probably treat you well and with more respect for it.
Now I’ll offer some general advice for any new student. I mentioned something earlier about autonomy and personhood. Indeed, when you leave this place you should be a much different person than you were when you came in. You should not only have a title, but you should be a person worthy of the title. By the time this in-between stage is over, you should be ready to take on the mantle of adulthood.
What separates a child from an adult? Financial obligations aside, an adult is responsible over his or her obligations. Adults don’t wait around to be told what to do by an authoritative figure. An adult is proactive.
An adult also advocates for his or her own self. If you’re not willing to advocate for yourself, who will be?
As you impress yourself with what you’re capable of, you’re sure to grow into a more confident being. Become the greatest version of yourself possible. You can do it. Just start down the path, and you’ll be there before you know it.
This editorial originally ran on page 6 on 8/14/2013 under the headline "Child to Adult: How to Navigate the In-Between"
