First Day of College
Transitioning from High School to college on August 19th, 2019 was a big step I had to take for myself and my future. It was not only a big transition it was also an emotional one because I had to leave my parents and friends behind to attend a higher-level education. It is my first-time attending school outside North Carolina and starting new with meeting new people, seeing new faces, attending a different church, and adjusting to a different way of life.
College has so far opened many doors for me and has given me a brief look into the future. It was always a goal to go to college, but I have not always seen college as a success waypoint in life like a lot of others. I had a big decision to make in the spring of my senior year of high school deciding whether or not to go to college or just go straight into the workforce.
I remember waking up on my first day at 7:30 for a 9:05 class because I was nervous about being late and not getting to school on time on my first day of college, along with that I did not know where my classes were, what hall, room number, how many people were going to be in the classes or what the atmosphere was going to be like. I was very nervous but at the same time, I was very excited to start something new in my life. I have heard from a fair amount of people that college is the best time of your life and I do not doubt that considering it is a completely different change of setting, culture, and way of life as well as living in a completely different place exploring new things and ideas. My sister is a senior at Clemson, and she was a great help considering she has been through a couple of years of college, and on my first day she was a major help to me locating my classes, what it was going to be like, telling me what I could and could not do, and helping me manage my time correctly. All of this reminded me that I someone to ask for help in addition to taking responsibility for things that are very important to me and my future, I had to focus more and realize this isnt just high school anymore I am an adult now heading into the real world.
College overall is a different setting and approach towards education. Going from knowing everyone in my classes along with the school to knowing nobody and seeing different faces every day was a challenge to me. This made me realize that there are a lot more people out in the world that have different perspectives, lives, and challenges to face just like me. My first class was Math at 9:05 am and I did not want to start my first day of college off with a math class. Walking in and knowing nobody allowed me to make my way to the back of the classroom and sit down not knowing what was going to happen next. Soon after, the professor walked in and introduced himself and started taking attendance like any other teacher. He began explaining what the class was going to consist of along with when and where to turn in assignments when we had them, the class schedule and the syllabus. My guess was he was going to allow us to introduce ourselves to others a little bit, but I was wrong. As soon as he got done explaining we started taking notes and began learning about the first subject which was a shock to me considering everyone I have talked to about the first week let alone the first day says it is syllabus week.
Just before class was over he gave us a little break so that we could meet new people and exchange information in case we missed or needed something and that was a relief because it allowed me to meet new people and get to know them a little bit so that we were not strangers anymore. All of the other classes I take the professors pretty much did the same thing on the first day of school, they were all laid back and understanding on why we were there, and they were not as intimidating as high school teachers said they were going to be.
My first day of college was successful and will be a day I will always remember because it was a day of new things and beginnings like meeting new people, going to new places, and learning new things. College so far has been a great experience because I have been surrounded by people that have the same interests in me sports-wise and educational-wise while studying a relative major. Doing so really brings out the reality of life and makes you realize that you are doing this solely because of enjoyment and also you can make a successful career and life out of it.