Chloe Bradley, left front, and Logan Laney, right front, help Tori Bradley, middle front, move into campus housing Thursday, Aug. 14, 2014, at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in Chattanooga, Tenn. Bradley is from Clarksville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Chattanooga Times Free Press, Angela Lewis Foster)
So here I am. An eighteen-year-old freshman in college, writing an SOCIETY19 article. Weird. Hello to whoever is reading this! My name is Ashley, and like I said, I am an eighteen-year-old freshman at Middle Tennessee State University. When I first noticed that I was able to write articles for SOCIETY19, I was slightly nervous about sending in that application…I mean this website is filled with many helpful articles that me and many other people read daily. So why read what I have to say? Well, because I was in the same place that many of you readers are in; a high school senior getting ready for the college experience. And now I want to share my experiences because, chances are, they could line up with someone else’s.
College is all of what you make it. You will meet many new people, and see many faces from home. You will start new friendships, and possibly end some that you’ve had for a while; just know that it’s okay when it happens. Friends come and go, especially in this big transition. That’s what the college experience is – one big transition. Whether you are moving to a new city/state or even just moving down the street and around the corner, college is a whole new ball game. It does pay off to be social in college, but you still need to have that balance of social and academics. Like I said, college is this fresh start, and if you don’t have that balance… Nothing is going to go right.
College isn’t always like it is in the movies. You don’t just come, go to one class, then go out all night…Well that’s not the case for me anyway. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I have an 8:30 AM class to start my days; and on Tuesdays and Thursdays I have an 8 AM start. Not to mention I tend to stay up late to finish all the homework I have from my five classes and one lab. Not going to lie, I knew this was coming…But I didn’t think it was going to hit this hard😅. One piece of advice I have taken out of this is about time management and balance. Know when it’s time to party, and know when it’s time to do your work. However! Take time for yourself because we all need a break every once in a while.
Again, college is all of what you make it. So far, I personally love my college experience. Yes, it does get stressful. And yes, I do have nights where I am up till three or four in the morning. However, it’s still something new to me. At the end of the day, I lay in my bed, and think about all that has happened since August. I’ve passed and failed exams, met many new people, made close connections with others, worked out a few times, had a few all-nighters, went to a few parties, found someone who could possibly be a significant other, but over all…I’ve grown in the past three months. And I’m oh so glad to say that I am Class of 2019!
I still can’t believe that I’m writing an article like this. I hope to continue to write more, and I hope whoever is reading this likes my style of writing (if that’s you, thank you). I want to end this reflection on my college experience by saying one important thing: enjoy college. It is just another huge roller coaster with many twists and turns that you’re going to love and hate. But at the end of the day, just remember that it’s a fresh start. Whether you be a freshman in college, or a senior, every year is one more fresh start.
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