Making a New Year’s Resolution is easy. It often includes sitting down with a piece of paper and a pen, reflecting over the year you had and what you want to change. When I try to complete this annual task, I imagine the type of person I want to be and what I want to do. Every year is mostly the same. However, once you get older, you need to include the new milestones that you have never experienced before. For example, people my age are getting ready to transition from high school to college. College is something new, exciting, but scary that you will have to prepare yourself for. Use your New Year’s Resolution as advice for your future self to use.
Next August I will be going to college, and it has made me understandably nervous. Between college acceptance letters, getting dorm supplies, and the looming threat of meeting new people, the annual anxieties teenagers around the country feel are valid. However, it is never too early to start prepping for all things college.
To get more insight from current high school seniors, I talked to Brunswick County Early College student Megan Shumaker. When asked why preparing for college early is important, she said, “College is a big change from high school. Academically and socially. Better to be prepared than feel like you’re drowning your first week.” This sentiment is very important. Many incoming college students want to prepare ahead of time, but they don’t know where to start. Some places where you can look for knowledge are family, friends, the college’s website, or even videos on the internet.
I always turn to my friends who have just entered college for advice. For this article, I sought out advice from two of my close friends who have just completed their first semester: Juliet, who is at Appalachian State University for Public Relations, and Tori, who is at NC State University for Animal Science with a Veterinary Bioscience Concentration.
Before college, there are two main things to prepare: build your experiences and create a feasible transition to college itself. This will give you a headstart in preparing for your career and having more experience in your classes. “I did an internship with the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher, shadowed a veterinarian, participated in Beta Club and NHS, and more to build my resume for college,” Tori reflects. The opportunities presented to her and the ones she sought out helped her gain experience and show that she is passionate about her learning and career path.
Once you decide which college you are going to attend, it is time to plan for moving, living on campus, and adjusting to your new life. Juliet recounted by saying, “I prepared for college by making lots of lists to make sure I had all the items I needed for college and dorm life. I also prepared by making sure to see all of my friends and family before leaving.” Steady adjustments and organization will help make everything easier. Instead of panicking on your first week of college because you can not find the supplies you need, you can show up completely prepared and ready to learn.
It may take a while to adjust to this new setting. College can be stressful and it is easy to get homesick. If you are feeling lost, it can be helpful to find something to connect you to home. Our college students shared their methods:
Juliet: “Having a hobby! For me, this hobby is journaling each week. It not only helps me relax but also keeps me connected with the activities I liked before moving to college.”
Tori: “I talk to my friends and family from home often and come back for breaks or when I have long weekends. I also try to find new things to enjoy at college, go out and have fun when I get the chance, and get involved in stuff on campus. I also find it easier being at college when I shift my perspective and see it as an opportunity to learn and work towards my dream career rather than an obligation.”
Finding things that make college an enjoyable experience is important. You can not work to the best of your ability if you are miserable. Find something that makes you happy and fills you with motivation for both the academic and fun aspects of your life.
I asked these college students, if they could go back in time and give advice to their early-2024 selves, what would they say?
“I would tell myself to not go into college with the expectation that everything will remain the same as it was before college. Relationships with others will inevitably change, especially as we go into a new setting with new people and new surroundings,” Tori reflected. “I would also tell myself to give myself grace and allow myself room to grow and change in this new environment.”
This is helpful advice because as you grow into adulthood, there are many aspects of your life that will change. Relationships with others are something that new college students worry about, keeping past relationships and making new ones. If this worries you, Juliet’s advice actually reassures you that everything will be okay. She says, “Don’t feel nervous about making friends at school. You will find friends, and friends will find you. It will all happen when and how it’s supposed to!”
This past fall semester was full of worrying about whether I would get into my dream school, if I would be comfortable in a new environment, and if my relationships would stay the same. It is easier having many friends who are in college right now to give advice based on their experiences. Everyone will have their own hardships or joys when it comes to this new experience. In order to prepare for this, I will try and prepare myself as much as I can through lists, research, and advice.
When you sit down to make your New Year’s Resolution, consider that things are going to change, and that is going to be okay. Prepare the best you can, and adapt as it goes. Things are not always going to be the same, but the joy of a new year is that things are going to change for the better.
