Adjusting to College Life

As a college freshman at UMass Lowell, I have experienced a lot of changes in my life in the last three months and am in the process of adjusting to college life. In this short window of time I went from being a high school student to a high school graduate, and a college student. I also moved from my childhood home where I had lived for the majority of my life to an enormous residence hall where I knew 1 person. This, combined with separation from my friends and family has led to quite an adjustment period in my life.

It is very strange to think about how fast time has passed; most days I feel like I should still be in high school, living at home and almost entirely dependent on my parents. I don’t feel old enough to be in college, and I also don’t feel even close to being ready to be a “real adult,” whatever that means. However, this new independence that I have been experiencing is growing on me, and becoming easier day by day. I don’t find it as strange anymore that I don’t see my parents every day, or that there isn’t someone who wants to know where I am at all hours of the day.  Having to do my own laundry, budget my own finances, and take care of myself has been a learning experience…and I’m still learning.

The hardest part about living away from home has simply been not seeing familiar faces every day. Although the town I grew up in was by no means small, it was not possible to go more than a few minutes without seeing someone I knew by name. In college, I suddenly am exposed to 16,000 people I have never met, seen or talked to. This, combined with the fact that few people have several classes together, makes it difficult to form friendships that are as deep as the ones from home. I have met a lot of people whom I enjoy being around, but I have not yet made any close bonds, which may also be due to the fact that I have known them for only about a month. This is definitely a new experience for me, seeing as I have been surrounded by the same close group of friends for over 10 years. I consider myself a social person, but it is hard to go from being with the same people all the time to being with acquaintances.

It has also been somewhat difficult to learn how to live with 2 other people in a small dorm room. I can’t leave the light on as late as I want, or play my music out loud. We all have to consider each other before making choices that I wouldn’t have even thought about while living at home. This has been a challenging, but fun experience. It is fun to live with others and always have someone my age to talk to or share stories from class. Luckily, we have yet to run into any problems, which has made the transition much easier.

Without a doubt, my favorite part of college so far have been my classes. Although very different from high school where every second of class was planned, I have found that a lot of my classes are flexible. This allows us to discuss things we are learning about and have organic conversations that stimulate learning. There is also a very independent aspect as well. Unlike in high school, professors do not care if you show up, or if you do the reading (but there will be repercussions for those choices down the road). There are no constant reminders and hand-holding. It is entirely up to you to write down and complete the homework. This has been a learning experience for me but I enjoy the chance to be responsible for myself and my own schoolwork.

Although the transition I am going through is by no means easy, it is also new, fun, and exciting. This change in lifestyle is something everyone will have to go through at some point in their lives, whether it be in college or at another time and I am grateful to be experiencing it now. In my opinion, this will help me grow as a person and be more mature. Overall, I am happy with my decision to attend college and live on campus, even though it can be challenging at times. The good times outweigh the difficult ones, and I’m looking forward to continuing this journey and seeing where it will take me.

Amanda De Moraes

Boston Tutoring Services