Coming to college from high school, I had no idea what I was doing. I chose Binghamton University because it was really green; my standards for schools were pretty high back then. I also chose an out-of-state college because no one from my high school was going there. I come from a small town outside of Philadelphia, and I was so glad to leave the state … or so I thought.
Freshman year was awesome, but I was so lost. Everything was so new and thrust upon me. How was I going to finish 20-page papers for classes like “Latinos in the United States” and “Asian-American Studies”? How come everyone at home looked like they were having way more fun than me? How was I supposed to know if my major was the right one for me? I quickly changed my major to education and told all of my friends I was coming back to Philadelphia and headed to Temple University.
Though I do not regret my fall sophomore semester at Temple, I quickly learned that Temple and I did not agree. I didn’t really enjoy the feeling of a possible mugging at 10 p.m. while walking home from the library — and who really does? So, for the second time in less than a year, I called up my mom and dad to tell them that I wanted to transfer. Again. While I could just hear them rolling their eyes over the phone, my loving parents OK’d the transfer back to Binghamton, but not without the heaviest of parental sighs.
Though it took a while, in my junior year I finally figured out what I want out of college and out of my life. It took trying out different friends, classes, majors and even universities for me to finally figure out what I want to do. This clarity and direction is the relief I had been looking for since freshman year.
In the end, I think that is what college is all about. It’s about finding out that there are other people (like you) who have no idea what they want out of life. There are freshmen who don’t know, and there are seniors and super seniors who still have no idea what they are doing. It is going to be OK. You could be like me and transfer in and out of schools and still have no idea! We all screw up, but the best part is, we learn from screwing up.
This applies to everyone of every age. It often takes getting out of your comfort zone to realize what you are good at. If you think taking “Humans vs. Zombies” sounds fun, do it! If you think you could be decent at acting, try out for the play! If you want to change your life plans three times, go for it. What’s the worst that could happen? Growing up is about getting out of your comfort zone and realizing that you can do things by yourself and not screw up. Let college be your safety net for growing up. Then, sit back, be yourself and the rest will come in time.