i survived my first week of college!

Sound the alarm--I'm officially a college student! I'm currently a freshman at Bridgewater State University and I'm living at home. While one can argue that because I'm commuting I'm not getting the full experience, but trust me, I am. I was so nervous to go to college. People always say that "it's so different from high school!", which is true! However, I wish there were things I had known before I started my courses so I could calm my nerves. With that being said, I'm passing my knowledge onto you!

1. Professors are super chill.

College professors are almost nothing like high school teachers. They don't care. They won't track you down for not coming to class (which is both a blessing and a curse), and if you don't turn in assignments, that's on you. One of my professors looks scarily similar to someone I know, and another has John Krasinski as a doppelgänger. 

2. Cliques aren't a thing.

Everyone knows the feeling. You know, when something embarrassing happens in high school and everyone stares at you? Well, that feeling doesn't exist in college. Truth is, people don't care. They don't care enough to stare at the doe-eyed freshman until she breaks. Everyone minds their own business. That doesn't necessarily mean that people won't want to be your friend---everyone needs friends! However, people that you aren't friends with don't care enough to even give you a second glance (in a good way).

3. College is independent. 

I liked to believe that I was independent in high school. I did my own thing, hung out with my group of friends, which were all great things. In reality, when I was left alone in the hallway to walk to class or I was the first one at lunch, I became extremely insecure. I felt as if I was nothing without my friends there. My senior year, I was a big fish in a small pond. Now, I'm an average-sized fish in a particularly big pond. Once I started college, I had to become used to going to classes on my own, being my GPS, and understanding that my friends' lives now run on an entirely different schedule. 

While I was extremely nervous to start at BSU, I'm much more excited now! Being a college student is fun and it comes with so many experiences. Just to show you how much fun I'm having, I included a picture of myself and my friend Meagan with BSU's mascot--Bristaco! I know that the high school to college transition can be intimidating, but it's important to talk about those nerves. Think of buffalo. When buffalo see a storm, they don't run from it, but rather into it, facing their problem head-on. Trust me on this--be the buffalo.

Meagan & I with the BSU mascot--Bristaco Bear!