LAYA IYER and LIAA KUMAR have completed their first year of college in the US. They share their experience of how starting college can be as smooth and enriching as possible.
New beginnings are great. They’re a chance to start afresh and chart a new course in any direction you choose. Change brings excitement and challenges, opportunities for growth and new experiences. Moments of transition also create much needed moments of reflection and allow you to re-prioritize and adjust your direction in life.
Starting college last fall was our most recent new beginning. It was dizzying, exciting, and a little disorienting. You are away from home for the first time, trying to find a new and different sense of home. You’re figuring out your place in the world, figuring out what parts of your identity you want to hold onto, what parts you’ve outgrown, and what kind of person you want to grow into. We’ve learned a lot from our first semester of college life, about each other, ourselves, and the world around us.
Here are 10 tips that have worked for us.
#1. Be kind to your body.
Every single one of your 600 odd muscles, 200 bones, and 37 trillion something cells work tirelessly day in and day out to keep your body functioning. Imagine those tiny workers, pumping your blood, and fending off potential illnesses, all so you can laugh, dance and live every single day. The kindest thing you can do for them is eat some fruits and vegetables once in a while and make an effort to be physically active. Fresh air won’t hurt you! Listen to your body, learn to recognize when it’s tired, hungry, and thirsty. Make it easy for your body to stay strong and resilient. Be kind to your body and it will be kind to you.
#2. Prioritize your sleep.
College is great because life is so full of people, activities, thoughts, ideas. It’s tempting to skip a few hours of sleep so you don’t miss a single second of it. But adrenaline only lasts so long, and unless you want to be perpetually exhausted or unfocused during the day, you’ll always benefit from enough sleep the night before. Not to mention that learning to make good choices for yourself, especially in the face of tempting alternatives, is a valuable exercise in prioritizing yourself and setting boundaries. That said, staying up late enough to see the sunrise is a rite of passage in college; just consider saving it for the weekend.
#3. Find your own pace.
Life is not a race, it’s a marathon. Although it may seem like things and people around are moving at lightspeed, the most important person you’re competing with is yourself. Everyone is working toward their own destination, and if you spend all your time trying to accomplish someone else’s goals you might end up in a place you never wanted to be in the first place. Take some time to figure out what it is that you want and what to do to get there. Don’t be afraid to challenge and push yourself, but don’t feel like you have to impress anyone or live up to their expectations. Taking things at your own pace, even if that means slowing down once in a while, will take you much further than trying to sprint to the finish line.
#4. Create your own life, don’t wait for someone to tell you what to do with it.
If you don’t know what your purpose or direction in life is yet, that’s okay! Explore, be curious about the world, and be willing to learn something from every person you meet. Ask questions and create opportunities for yourself. People often talk about “finding themselves,” but if you don’t know what you’re looking for, how will you know when you’ve found it? Take time to figure out what kind of person you want to be and what direction you want to move in. It’s a powerful first step toward creating the kind of life you want.
#5. Stay true to yourself and your people will find you.
You’ll be meeting many new people all the time: in classes, the dining hall, the hallway, and at clubs. Some of them will become great friends, others will be friendly acquaintances. Be open to meeting new people from different backgrounds, and you’re guaranteed to meet people with whom you click. Surround yourself with people who inspire you, challenge, and encourage you to be the best version of yourself.
#6. Call home.
It’s all too easy to get caught up in the newness of everything. Remember the people who have taken care of you and helped make you who you are. Check in with them, even when nothing’s wrong. They want to know how you are. When you’re busy building all these new relationships, don’t forget to take care of the ones you came to college with.
#7. Refrain from judging, instead try to learn from the people around you.
You will meet people from a variety of backgrounds you are not familiar with. It’s important to be compassionate and understanding and give people the place to be themselves. It’s a wonderful opportunity to be inspired and learn more about the world. Be curious and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
#8. Make sure to connect with yourself.
Whether it’s through journaling, meditation, or going on a short walk, make sure you check in with how you’re feeling. Even the most extroverted person needs some downtime to recharge and reflect, so give yourself that space and time.
#9. Develop healthy coping mechanisms for stress, anger, and sadness.
During your transition, you will be facing a lot of emotions that you haven’t experienced before, or you are experiencing alone. Practices like meditation, relaxation, and journaling are very helpful, so don’t be afraid to use them.
#10. Give yourself the space to learn and grow!
It’s okay to make mistakes. Mistakes are part of being human, but what’s incredibly important is to learn from your mistakes and apply yourself in the next situation.
Laya Iyer and Liaa Kumar
