If there is one word that perfectly captures my state of mind right now, it is this: Overwhelmed.
Overwhelmed by the newness of things–new ideas, new friends, new places, new foods, new books.
Overwhelmed by the endless possibilities–the hundred of classes to pick from, the many different extracurricular activities.
Overwhelmed by the work load–300 pages a night? An atrocity! (The good kind)
Overwhelmed by the brilliance of others–as to be expected, there are some seriously smart kids here, which might make you feel a little inferior in some ways. Addressing this matter (of how to cope with the fact that you’re no longer the best), my freshman counselor uses the analogy, “being a high school student is like being a big fish in a little pond; being a college student is like being a big fish in a big pond with a lot of other big fishes.” Contrived, yes, but it works.
Don’t let the usual connotation for the word “overwhelm” throw you off, though. I mostly mean it in a positive way–what one feels when there’s simply too many good things happening at once. It’s really easy to get carried away, however, and before you know it, you’ve taken on a work load that’s impossible to carry. My most important lesson from these first exhausting weeks is that it’s impossible to do everything and be as we were (remember, we’re no longer in our little pond). Instead, prioritize and leave time to take care of yourself–get that much-needed sleep, use the meal plan that you signed up for instead of living off the vending machine.
I would love to share more about my first impressions of college but, alas, there is a 6-page paper that is due this Friday that requires my attention.