Have you ever seen those really astonishing balancing acts? One where a man can balance even on the smallest of plates or a woman is able to hoist herself up on the hands of her partner while dangling midair. Well, that, to some, is how the first weeks of freshman year feel. Like you just can’t grab hold of anything, yet you find yourself holding or balancing everything seemingly on your own.
Freshman year of college is a formative year for many; a paused moment in time where your one occupation in life is to simply be a student and learn the ropes of this new reality. For most, it is a whirlwind of learning new skills and the excitement of a new place. For others, there comes an anxiety with the new place or even a new state entirely. There is a wonderful joy in finding a place to truly call home and that takes time and consideration. First year college students often spend the months leading up to high school graduation thinking and praying about the college that they want to pick. The choice in itself is exhausting and mentally taxing. Then you actually get to college.
Between homework, the social calendar, classes and many more time-consuming meetings then one can count. We as freshmen tend to feel what people call “burn out”, an overall sense that we’re just doing too much and there just aren’t enough hours in the day to get it all done. Between the cram sessions and the four cups of coffee, freshmen can either be found in the dining hall or maybe taking a nap; it all just depends on the day. But no matter what the love and support that we receive each day through upperclassmen, RAs and professors, it is all worth the tired eyes and late nights. And though many freshmen try to act like they know what they’re doing, no one truly knows how to get to TGC class in Chase the first time.
Students go through a mental change in their first year of college. Moving away from the familiarity of home, community, and routine, may result in an overall sense of worry within freshman. Though school is often designed to be community-oriented, some students still find themselves feeling lonely within the first few weeks because of the mental load that is gained by now taking care of the day to day by yourself.
Part of the first-year student struggle comes from the sudden lack of structure. In high school, many decisions were made for you, for example what you’d eat for dinner, when laundry got
done, even what time you had to be home. In college, those guidelines disappear, and the responsibility falls entirely on you. That’s where the learning curve sets in: figuring out a reasonable bedtime, making it to class with enough time to spare, managing course work, and making sure you’ve got enough clean clothes to make it through the week.
Freshman, upperclassman, parents, professors and alumni all understand that though college is a formative and positive time in life, there will always be challenges to work through. To all the freshmen who feel like everyone around them has it all figured out (the social life, the academics, and seemingly everything else) take a breath and know that you are exactly where you are supposed to be. God has called you for a true purpose within his kingdom and that this is just the first step towards a higher calling.
To all of those supporting the incoming class of 2029, thank you for your time, patience and grace as we navigate this transition and you do as well. Thank you for all the love and care you’ve shown. Now as we continue our year working on our balancing act we are encouraged and ready to move forward learning as we grow!
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