EDITORIAL: Take flight and experiment on your college journey

For some students, college can feel like a four-year sentence at the loneliest jail in the world. They feel stuck, and do not know how they will ever get out. 

There is no denying that college is a hard experience; for the first time in many students’ lives, they are met with the need to navigate new responsibilities. At times, it can feel like you are alone on your college journey, unable to truly enjoy the experience. 

As a new college student, it is important to know that you are not alone in trying to learn how to adjust to this new lifestyle. Everyone has felt this struggle despite the fact that they may not look like it. 

College is the first time many students are away from the support system that they have become accustomed to their entire lives. In the blink of an eye, you are taken away from it all and are left to start new. 

This can either make or break you. For some individuals college is a freeing experience, it is the first time that they are able to live the way that they want to. For others, they become unsure of themselves and wonder if the entire journey that got them to college was worth it. 

Despite these feelings, the truth is that it was worth it. This journey has helped shape you into the person that you are today, and college will help shape you into the adult you will be tomorrow. Do not think of college as a jail sentence, but instead as a growing experience that will change you for the better. 

Sometimes loneliness is the drive you need to do something unexpected and new. Do not fear these unforeseen desires, some of the most rewarding experiences will be what you did not expect. 

You will have many successes, but also many failures. Experimenting is essential to the college experience. It may be scary venturing out into the unknown, and it may cause regret, but taking a chance on something new will free you from doubting yourself and your capabilities. 

If you are stuck and it seems that every day is a constant repeat of fear and anxiety, do not diminish yourself or compare your experiences to others. Everyone is on their own journey, on their own time, and doing so will only harm you even more. 

Graphic by- Rachel Fratt

Do what you feel is best for you and take it day by day. A tiny victory is still a victory, after all.  Rewarding yourself is essential. Every now and then it is okay to splurge on something to reward yourself for your accomplishments. 

Everyone’s college experience is unique. No two pieces of the puzzle have ever been the same. Many often say that your time in college will define who you become for the rest of your life. 

Use this time wisely, make mistakes, fix those mistakes, shave your head, get a tattoo, join an honors society, do whatever it is that you want to do. You’ve earned it. Just remember, college is only a prison if you make it into one.