by Adam West
“I’ll be fine.” This was the main thought running through my head the first few weeks of college. Now, sure, I knew that I didn’t know everything, but I thought high school had prepared me for college better than most. I was the cocky first year who thought college would be a breeze and knew exactly what all would happen. I was so very wrong. College was everything and nothing I expected. Here are ten things I wish I knew coming to Centre!
- You don’t need to be certain about anything yet. At Centre, you don’t need to decide your major(s)/minor(s) until near the end of your sophomore year. This means that you get time to try out things you never thought you would have. I don’t think I’m someone whose majors/minor ideas have changed much, but being able to consider and think through why and what each means has been helpful to me as both a student and a person.
- It’s okay to spend some time alone. This is a lesson that I learned the hard way. I tried spending all my time with people during my first term, never wanting to be alone. I wasn’t taking time for myself. This changed drastically for my third term. I started spending time for myself, to recharge, and I’m glad I did! All that being said…
- Meet new people! You’ll meet a lot of new people and (especially if you’re from Louisville) reconnect with people you knew in the past! This is exciting, and get out there and start meeting people! You won’t like all of them and a lot of them won’t like you, but that’s life! Don’t worry about it!
- Try new things! Get out there! Go to convocations, go to events, try classes you never thought you would try! I have a friend who got me to come to the Volleyball club and I enjoyed it so much! As well, I’ve started going to church, which is something my agnostic self never would have expected. Just try not to get in trouble.
- Take your classes seriously. This is a small, private liberal arts college. I saw something that said Centre was a hidden gem college and you feel it. The academics here are no joke, but if you keep up you’ll be fine (hopefully).
- Go to office hours. I secretly wonder which of my professors are tired of me coming to office hours.
- Counseling is good. You’ll probably need it at some point. This is something I knew going in, and I know being able to sit down with a mental health counselor on campus has helped me process the chaos of college. I remember someone telling me that college was a lot more depressing than he thought it would be and that rings a little too true.
- Sleep’s kinda important. I say this without having taken a true all nighter yet, but with bloodshot eyes. Trying to sentences form is hard when can’t think you.
- Advocate for yourself. At Centre, it’s you versus the world. I had to learn how to be independent and fight for what I’m interested in. You have to advocate for the person that you want to be.
- You won’t be the same person you started, but you’re still you. I know I’ve changed and grown and devolved since coming to Centre College. However, I also know that there’s a lot of me that still has the same interests and values. I’ve learned a lot and added a few core memories, but I know I’m still me.