10 Things I Learned in My First 10 Days at SUU
- madeline344
- Sep 16, 2019
- 4 min read
If you have left home for college, you know all the emotions that come with it. It's a mix of basically every positive emotion and every negative emotion, like a weird feelings salad. Loneliness, excitement, confusion, independence. Its almost impossible to decipher what you are feeling and why you feel it. But beyond feeling a slew of new unidentified sensations, you quickly learn so much about yourself, and how you fit into the new world around you. In the past few weeks of living on my own, I have learned more about myself than I did during all 4 years of high school. I have also learned a lot about this place that was so foreign to me not long ago. I remember touring SUU last spring and feeling that it had the potential to feel like home, but being 7 hours away from my hometown was already enough to make me feel uneasy. Add that to the new pace of college classes and roommates that were practically strangers (besides minimal social media stalking) and the transition was not easy, but it was necessary and I'm proud of all I've learned. In this post I want to outline the main things I have learned this week and possibly help anyone struggling with a large life transition to feel more understood. So here are 10 things I have learned in my time here at SUU.
Going out of your comfort zone is worth it! College is the perfect opportunity for reinvention. Being away from every person I have ever known has shown me moments of feeling absolutely free of any embarrassing past or ignominious reputation. These feelings have in turn made me feel like I can step away from my introverted nature that was always expected of me in High School. I have done many things that may seem tame on the outside (things like going to the dining hall alone, introducing myself to people in an elevator, or complimenting strangers) but they're things that would have given me extreme anxiety before I came here. Every time I have done something small like that, it has shown to help me feel less lonely and more connected to my new community.
Time with yourself is equally as valuable as time socializing. It's easy to get caught up in all the activity of college (especially at SUU- there's a lot going on), but balancing those fun college experiences with taking time to process how you are feeling could mean the difference between feeling lost or pent up emotionally, and knowing completely who you are and how you're feeling.
Organization is incredibly important for success. I'm not proud to admit that I slept through one of my classes because I start at different times on Mondays and Tuesdays. That was a mistake I only had to make once. Coming up with systems for remembering classes and homework etc can save you from moments that leave you feeling like you kind of hate yourself.
Defining your community is necessary. Whether it be clubs, religious organizations, classes, or even just the people you live with, finding where you fit in this new environment can help with feelings of isolation. At SUU there are endless opportunities for feeling like you're a part of a group, so step out!
Roommates are what you make of them. Some of my roommates I know will be friends for a long time. I have learned it is up to me to cultivate these new friendships into people I feel I can trust. It doesn't take long when you spend a majority of your time with a certain group of people, but if you isolate yourself, it will show in the way you interact with them.
You are your biggest critic. Everyone in college is experiencing the same things. Situations might be different, but overall, no one will be as hard on your actions and interactions as you will. Most of the time things you might be embarrassed about for weeks could leave someone else's mind the moment you walk away.
Finding a list of easy foods you like can save you on nights where motivation is low. This looks different for everyone. For me, Easy mac, canned chicken, and salsa (not together) have been my go-to's. If I had to search through allrecipes every time i wanted to have a meal i would probably be dead right now. Setting your expectations too high for food could lead to disappointment.
School is not a fashion show- but feeling confident can make boring days feel better. This one may not be relevant to everyone, but for me, sometimes the highlight of my day is putting on an outfit I like. It may be hard some days to pick out the positives, but if I can control one thing, it's my level of effort I put into looking put together, even if i don't feel it.
You can be as close or as distant as you want with your family. Being 7 hours away from my family was initially intimidating because I wasn't sure if I could maintain the closeness I have always had with them, but I have learned that if you want to be close (especially in the day of the internet) it's not as complicated as it seems. It's texts throughout the day about funny little things and phone calls when things are hard. But this also goes the other way. It's incredibly easy to be distant if that's what you want.
Cedar City is BEAUTIFUL. I have always been the person that often has to stop and look around at nature to just take it all in. I can see the beauty in the ugliest of places. But here at SUU it's not hard to understand how lucky I am to be in a place that is so abundant with natural beauty. From mountains to sunsets and everything in between I haven't been disappointed visually since I got here.
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