For some, adjusting to campus life can be a total breeze. But for others, it can be a really tough time. If you come from a very quiet, conservative family home, moving to a campus that’s constantly full of life and noise and possibly a very a long way from your family, can making adjusting really quite difficult. There are some key things to remember and some ways in which you can best prepare yourself for adjusting to campus life. So here are eight things to help you adjust to campus life.
You need to make sure your room on campus really makes you feel like you’re at home. Whether that means filling it full of personal touches like photographs of family and friends or putting up posters of your favourite bands or just making it really bright and colourful – do whatever it takes to make it feel like yours. It’s important to feel as comfortable and happy as possible in your room to really adjust to life on campus.
It’s really easy when you’re feeling homesick to pop home for a visit after the first week on campus, but it’s so important to stick it out as long as you can or you’re just going to make adjusting to campus life harder for yourself in the long run. Avoid facetime and video calls too often as well, stick to texting if you really feel like you need to speak to family, but don’t over-do it as you’re just going to prolong that homesickness and make things tougher for yourself.
You’re on a campus surrounded by hundreds of people in the exact same position as you, likely feeling the exact same way as you are – even if they don’t all show it. Talk to people about it, get talking to your roommate or the girl in the room next door, or the lad on the floor above. Whoever it is, if you’re struggling to adjust, talk to them about it – it’s true what they say, a problem shared really is a problem halved! Chances are, they’ll tell you that they’re feeling the exact same way, and it always makes us feel better to know we’re not alone.
When you’re having a tough time adjusting, it can be really easy to just shut yourself away in your room and wallow in self-pity, but it is so important that you keep on putting yourself out there. The more you go out and make friends and have a good time, the easier and quicker you’ll adjust to campus life. Making friends and making memories will create an attachment between you and the campus, making it feel much more like home. Plus, you’ll slowly find yourself fitting in more and more, until one day you won’t want to leave campus!
Whether you’re struggling with homesickness, struggling to make friends, or just generally struggling to adjust to college life, find something you enjoy to distract you and help you through it. Whether that is reading, watching Netflix, going out with friends or listening to music, do whatever makes you happy and will distract you from overthinking whatever it is that you’re struggling with.
Adjusting to the constant noise that campus life can bring can sometimes be tough if you’re the type of person that likes peace and quiet. Before you start college, consider investing in some good ear plugs, because there will be nights when you’re trying to get work done or trying to get an early night and there is something going on on campus that might make that hard. Having the ability to shut the noise out should you need to, will make adjusting easier.
College work can be a lot more demanding than school work, so be sure to keep on top of it all right from the beginning or you’ll risk falling behind. The jump in both the amount of work and the difficulty can be a big one, so be prepared for it to make adjusting as easy as possible.
Most people that go to college will struggle with some aspect of adjusting to campus life, but in time, most people also move past it. So, although it is certainly easier said than done, be patient because you will adjust in time.
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