Dear 1st-Year-of-College Cam,
Congrats on getting into college! I know everyone keeps saying this is the “real world” now and things are going to be much harder than it was in high school… However, everyone’s college experience is going to be a bit different. Yes, you are going to have so much more freedom and independence, but it is not at all the level of scary that you thought it would be. Surprisingly, on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the scariest), college would be a 4. Of course, you will have to give yourself some time to adjust to your new routines, but after that, the only really scary things would be walking to your dorm at night and preparing for what comes after graduation.
Oddly enough, my favorite quote now is “Feel the fear and do it anyway.” Don’t just stick to the same circle of friends that you knew from high school. Make the effort to go out and meet new people by attending on-campus and community social events. Even if no one you know is doing it, do it anyway! If you want to start a business, college is a great time to do that. You have ODU resources to help you and people tend to be highly supportive of businesses by college students.
You will change your major as well. That is completely okay and normal. You will figure out what major is best for you after various volunteer, job, and internship experiences in different fields. Even if a job is not directly related to your field, still try it out! The experiences will give you a better understanding and appreciation for those in that field—and you can always identify the transferable skills later on.
Lastly, you should prepare for graduate school the summer of your sophomore year or the very beginning of your junior year. Despite the pandemic, some colleges will expect you to take the GRE. You will also have to write a personal statement and/or personal essay, provide an updated resume, and submit other supporting documents. If you start the process early, you won’t be so stressed during your last semester of college!
It’s crazy to think that it has already been four years! Time really flies, so make sure you step out of your comfort zone to make every moment count!
Sincerely,
Last-Semester-of-College Cam
