Stories from College Students
College is some of the best 4 years of our lives and is often seen as game days, parties, new friends, and new experiences. This is true, but it’s only a small part of what the actual college experience is, as the reality is that college is a time where we grow, face new challenges, and truly discover ourselves. One of the best ways to understand what college is nowadays is by hearing real college student stories. Every student comes into college from a different background and has different goals, so by hearing and sharing college student stories, we can all have a better understanding of the ups and downs of college life and what we have learned from them.
Finding Your Place
The most common theme when telling or hearing college student stories is finding friends and finding your place in a new environment. The first week students arrive on campus, not knowing anyone, is stressful and overwhelming as they are trying to meet new people and adjust to the academic side of college. A quote from one of my college roommates that represents this well is “The first week was exciting but very overwhelming, coming from out of state, it seemed like everyone already had their friend group, and I wasn’t sure how I could fit in.” This quote connects to a lot of new students, but is almost always followed up with suggestions on joining clubs, going to campus events, and simply talking to people in your dorm and from your classes, which will help build confidence and friendships.
With this idea of finding your place, learning how to be independent, and how to be successful in that, is a huge part of college and helps grow students. Managing time between school work and going out, staying organized, and making big decisions on their own are some of the big challenges that students face. Students quickly learn how much they relied on their parents, so learning how to be independent in these ways is a learning experience for students. This is challenging at first, but it is one of the most valuable parts of the college experience. Most college students' stories highlight how they developed their independence and grew from it.
Facing Challenges and Setbacks
The idea around college and the stories that are told from it are light-hearted and full of fun experiences, but college isn’t easy, it is full of tough challenges and setbacks. Full schedules with hours of homework every week, exams every few weeks, and group projects are new experiences for students and take time to adjust to them. Horror stories from college students about failing classes, being overstressed about multiple exams in a week, and picking a major are a part of the college experience and something all students have to overcome.
My Story
My story is similar to most new college students' stories. Moved into my dorm at Miami University, met my new roommate, said goodbye to my mom, and then I was on my own to explore the town and campus. I struggled to make new friends right away. My roommate is from Ohio, so he had his high school friends who were also at my Miami, and I didn’t have anyone coming from out of state. I struggled with this for the first few weeks until I joined the club lacrosse team and got introduced to a team where everyone is close with each other and very welcoming to the new members. Club lacrosse was a great first way for me to meet people, and this continued as I really got to know the guys on the team during and after practices. I was still struggling to find friends outside of the team until I started talking to people in my classes and in my groups. This is where I found my true friends and guys who would end up living with me for the next 3 years of my college experience. Finding friends in a new area is always hard, but I was able to put myself out there and find some good friends.
Looking back on this, finding friends was the easy part of being a new student; academically, and learning to be independent was where I truly struggled. College courses are miles different and harder than high school courses. In my first semester of college, I had to withdraw from a class because I was doing so badly in it, and I fully failed another, cause I treated it like high school and didn’t manage my time correctly, leading to a rough start to my college career. With that, I also needed to learn how to be independent and not rely on my parents, getting my school supplies, booking flights back home, and what to do when I got sick. This continued as I moved out of the dorms and had to cook and clean for myself. Through this, I learned and did better.
Even with all of these setbacks and new challenges, I fell in love with Miami University and the town of Oxford. Going to sporting events with friends and eating at a local restaurant gave me a sense of pride about Oxford. I have always struggled to decorate my dorm and my off-campus houses with personal items that show where I am from and the town of Oxford that I have come to love.
Conclusion
Overall, college is a place of learning, whether it is finding out who you are or in your studies, it's a time of transformation. With real college student stories, we can better understand what makes college so meaningful, from finding new friends, overcoming challenges, and finding your own sense of independence. Items like banners, maps, and other decor that reflect Oxford allow students to carry these memories with them for the rest of college and post-grad. Using these memories to tell real college student stories can help young students who are struggling, like all the rest of us, have an incredible college experience. That is why real college student stories are so valuable.
