I remember the upcoming weeks of my freshman year of college like it was yesterday. There was the nervousness of moving out of the house, the worry of classes and the amount of homework I’d have, and of course the excitement of meeting new people and being in a different environment.
When I got onto campus freshman year, it felt like a whirlwind. CU Boulder had what felt like a thousand events you could attend, some required but most optional. My calendar was filled with goat yoga, movie nights, and events where the one purpose was to meet people. It was overwhelming, but almost every event I went to was worth it. Getting familiar with Boulder and making friends in the first week of college created a community for me, and it was like no other.
I’m not sure why I expected the same thing to happen during my sophomore year.
Only a year later, things are so different. I didn’t start truly packing for college until a couple of days before I moved out, I owned zero school supplies except for the freshman leftovers, and didn’t even know where my first class was until I was starting to walk onto campus the first day. While most of this was due to laziness on my part, it was also due to the lack of “school hype” I was used to. With no events to look forward to and a good friend group I knew from the previous year, school felt unexciting.
Everyone always complains about the mandatory events freshman year and the endless invitations which fill your school email, but I admit that I miss them a little. Getting to schedule something enjoyable and short into my day without other worries was something I took for granted.
If you are an incoming freshman, you should take every opportunity presented to you and run with it. The worst that could happen is you have too many commitments or friends, but you can drop a couple to keep a healthy school-life balance if necessary. Do it all now, or else next year you might be like me, stuck working 39 hours your first week of classes and feeling like a true adult.
The beginning of school probably won’t feel the same as my freshman year again unless I decide to do a Master’s (which I hope never happens since I’m a little sick of school already). It’s a little glum to think about on its own, but I’ve learned I have to find other things to be excited about. Making or hosting my own events, going to a restaurant I’ve never been to, or joining a new club if I want to meet more people. If you’re past your freshman year and feel in a slump too, I recommend you try one of these things.
But even if you decide to do none of that, that’s okay. Having a relaxing entrance into the school year is just as nice.