From a teen's perspective: My First Semester of College

I can’t believe I’ve finished my first semester at college. Although I was not graded in the traditional way (all first semester students at Wellesley are graded pass/fail), I completed my first four college classes, first college exams and first everything in between. It's hard to believe I did it. The mystical college that has been dangled in front of me my whole life is upon me, and at points it feels like I’m living a fever dream, as I’ve met some of the most amazing people ever, students and faculty alike. My teammates are some of the hardest working people I know, and my classmates are the most inquisitive and brilliant people I am honored to be surrounded by every day. 

College is extremely different from high school in that you aren’t spending very much time in the classroom. In the way that my college works, most classes meet twice a week for an hour and fifteen minutes, normally with no class on Wednesday (unless it's a lab, seminar or intensive course). That means although I do a lot of learning in the classroom, I’m also learning outside of it, both about my schoolwork and about life. It is a completely new start, with my classes being about subjects I, for the most part, have not learned about in a formal setting, and new friends with whom to meet and bond.

I like to joke my classes are about how much the world can be a place of darkness and despair. Even my biology class discussed topics surrounding this claim, such as environmental racism and climate change. I doubt this is a universal college experience, as I am a prospective International Relations-Political Science major. To explain what I study, I use an example from one night when I was stressed about some of the work I had to do. It felt like a lot, and I wanted to make sure I did it well. However, instead of the typical high school extra readings, math problems and scientific concepts to decipher, I was sitting in the art library with some of my friends researching the international human rights framework and where it can be improved, along with working on an essay about equity. So, of course, even if I am stressed about what I am doing, it is something I am passionate about.

Encased in a seemingly never-ending barrage of problems facing the world, I am also given reminders of why it is important to learn about these things – to find a way to change them. One of my classmates asked near the end of the semester how you can stay positive in times like these, finding ways to make the unimaginable make sense. My amazing professor responded that you must find hope in what you do. We are all motivated in our own ways to help this world and those living in it, and our sustained action is crucial for change. 

College is a time for reflection and learning, both about yourself and in a formal setting. In reflection on finding ways to sustain the motivation to help without being bogged down in the sadness of situations in the world, I have found an overlap in some of my reflections on what I have learned about myself in my time at college so far. In order to sustain movement, you must give yourself time to be still. In the current education system of high school and middle school, it seems there is encouragement to do the opposite of this, with pressure to do it all academically and non-academically in order to be “successful” in life. That is, do it all for the sake of your well-being. But upon reflection I have learned this is not the case. What you do is just as important as what you do not do. Choosing what is important to you brings joy, and it also limits unnecessary clutter, allowing time for yourself. I am an extrovert (very much so according to the Meyers-Briggs personality test), but I have found that having peaceful time for yourself is important too, even for one who thrives around others' energy. Taking self-care time is important to sustain your actions, limiting burnout and a feeling of defeat against negative actions within the world.

Another overlap I have found is the importance of living in the moment and being present. To limit being bogged down, it is critical to focus on what you are doing, whether it be a specific action item or not related at all. I try to limit my mind's simmering on stressful topics when I’m with friends, as it is important for me to be able to have that time to relax and enjoy their company. Living in the moment is not always easy, with stressors staying prevalent through phones constantly bringing up negative news and alerting users when anything is going on. I have found it crucial, however, to work on this skill to sustain action for change.

I look forward to continuing this work at college, while also developing other skills in my new classes. Although I am in Massachusetts, I still am reminded of my home in Davidson County, North Carolina, in my work, by the random country songs that play in Boston, every time I say “y’all” and the weird “biscuits'' they have that don’t taste like biscuits. Regardless, I am thankful for what got me to where I am and am excited to see what the future holds in this new adventure of college in the coming semesters.