Hi everyone! I’m back with my weekly blog post about my new college life. Everyone loves talking about the highs of college, but no one ever really talks about the lows. Today, I’m going to discuss the lows I’ve experienced so far at college. I knew I would struggle with some things in college, but I didn’t know how much college would test me mentally. I struggle with anxiety, so before leaving for Penn State, I felt very anxious being 3 hours from home. Being away from all my friends, family, my dog, and my house was not something that thrilled me. I will be truthful and say I’ve broke down crying numerous times in my dorm room these past few weeks due to the homesickness I felt and the pressures of college.
I’m still adjusting to the college workload. Trying to find out what works best for me to stay ahead of my homework has been a struggle. I’ve always been a procrastinator, so I’ve been trying to break that bad habit. I also didn’t know how much of an adjustment it would be for me to get used to doing everything on my own. Having to get myself dinner each night and doing the laundry are some things I’ve been adjusting to. Of course, I did the laundry here and there back home, but I am so used to my parents just doing it for me that I’ve had to get used to making time for that in my schedule.
I also just failed my first college exam. It was a wakeup call for sure. I’m telling myself I will do better on the next one because I will be switching up my studying techniques. I’ve always been a bad test taker, it’s just not my strong suit. I took the SAT 3 times before applying to colleges and not one of the scores was good enough to send to colleges. I’m hoping I will become a better one in college, since I will be trying new study habits. Usually after I have a bad day I get to go home to my dog, family, and my bedroom. Here I can only go home to my dorm. I find myself missing the escape I felt back at home. It’s something I will have to get adjusted to at college.
Despite all these lows I’ve experienced so far, I’ve found solutions to some of them already. When I get homesick, I facetime my mom, so I can talk to my family and also see my dog. I miss my dog so much, so seeing her on screen makes me happy. I also had my first few shifts at the Penn State bookstore. I work as a cashier there. I got this job to help with my time management, with my new job I will have to plan my homework around my shifts. It also gives me something to keep my mind off things. I also went out with some people on my dorm floor last night to the State College Spikes game. It was fun to hang out with people and get my mind off schoolwork. Taking breaks is good for me to let me feel less stress.
Getting used to college means experiencing both the highs and the lows. Almost everything has a solution to it, I just have had to find them. See you next week for my next blog post!
Contact: akb6783@psu.edu or ashley_beres1 on twitter
