"I got everything I need, and nothing that I don't." -Zac Brown Band
Starting at the University of Cincinnati was a huge change for me, as was the entire year. I come from a small town, where I graduated with a class of 71, most of whom I had been going to school with since kindergarten. I was very involved and had a very tight, wonderful group of friends, a few of which came down to UC with me.
Leaving my little community and starting at a school with 44,000 students was intimidating to say the least. I didn’t know where to begin making friends or figuring out what I wanted now that I was, essentially, starting over. My roommates turned out to be amazing, which was a huge blessing. I started making new friends while still spending time with my friends from high school who were at UC as well.
It’s cliché, but I really learned to stand on my own two feet this year. Of course, I still call my parents for advice about some things, and I realize that I’m making it up as I go along about half the time, but I’ve learned that I’m very capable. I have a great work ethic and enough self-discipline to stay on top of everything even it feels like I’m drowning. I’m more okay with being independent than I thought I would be, and that’s been huge for me. It’s given me the confidence to go with my gut rather than second-guessing myself, it’s allowed me to prioritize, and it’s allowed me to figure out who I am. I’ve seen a lot of growth in myself over the past year, and this is one of the biggest reasons why. I am grateful that my parents have not only let me figure out how to stand on my own, but they have given me the tools to do so.
If I could change something about this year, I would tell first-semester me to calm down. I felt really alone in being so homesick, and behind everyone who said they were happy to be out of high school. I had enjoyed high school, but it felt wrong to admit that, like it was a weakness. I wasn’t sure how I would be able to get through the whole year, and I missed being comfortable and confident. Toward the end of October, I was finally comfortable on campus. I learned to accept the fact that I would miss aspects of high school, such as my sports teams, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t love college, too. If I would have realized that sooner, I think I could’ve had a much smoother transition. But, coming to terms with that on my own only added to my growth.
Something I want to remember for next year is that it’s okay to make changes, whether that’s in my major or any aspect of my life. What I wanted when I was 10 or 15 or 18 does not need to dictate my life when I’m 19 or 20. A goal I want to accomplish is getting involved with at least one more student group; I think those are a blast, and a great way to learn more about yourself and your passions. I also want to start volunteering more; I worked at a soup kitchen several times through Cats for Cause second semester, and that was an awesome experience. It was fun and it felt good to be giving back to people who weren’t as blessed as I am. The growth I experienced in my freshman year is sure to continue in my sophomore year, and I am more than excited to see where that takes me.