I recognize that my freshman experience—and that of the entire class of 2023—was unique due to the

circumstances brought on by the pandemic. But here goes, anyway.

First, freshman year was harder than I had expected. I knew that college would be an adjustment, but I
don’t think I had fully internalized that fact. My first term was challenging in that it was hard to meet
new people, especially at a school where I didn’t know anyone beforehand. Because I knew that the
workload and my jobs would demand a lot of time, I held off on joining student organizations. This also
made it a bit harder to meet new people.

Here’s the thing. At Carleton, students don’t make a habit of discussing grades. One of the best things
about Carleton is that the culture is very collaborative rather than competitive. But on my first paper, I
got *hushed voice* a B. Minus! I was disappointed—I was not used to getting Bs in my favorite subject.
Math? Sure. Science? Why not. But writing? And on a paper where I had worked the hardest I had
probably ever worked on a single assignment?

In the wake of the *B That Must Not Be Named,* I realized that I seriously needed to step up my game.
What would have been considered A-level work in high school would not achieve the same results at
Carleton. I responded to my disappointment by attending office hours to discuss my professor’s
feedback in detail. This was crucial. My professor was able to tell me what needed work in my paper,
and also gave me encouragement which really helped my confidence. On my next paper, I got an A.

This experience, getting a B- in college, was surprisingly formative. Once again, I knew going into college
that I would probably not be a straight A student, but I hadn’t really internalized this. Oddly, I felt shame
about getting a B- (yes, I know how bad that sounds), and had the weird idea in my head that I was the
only person who wasn’t getting As.

Ultimately, getting a B- on an assignment that I thought I would do well on was a humbling reminder
that college is not high school. That getting As is not the only metric of success. That you can work really
really hard on something and still not achieve the desired result. That one B (or B-, as it were), or two Bs,
or all of the Bs, or Cs, or anything else… will not be your downfall. I have gotten more Bs since the First
B(-), and I have learned to use these Bs as motivation and an opportunity to learn and improve. I am a
better student because of it.

Much of what I have written about must be experienced first-hand to really be meaningful. The point of
writing this post at all is to let freshmen know that any challenges they might experience are not unique
to them. These challenges can feel isolating, unsettling, frustrating. It can be embarrassing to talk about
how you are struggling, especially when you haven’t yet formed strong relationships. Give yourself time
to find your place here. You will.

When I first enrolled here at State University, I never thought I would ever be
in the position to graduate. Finishing college was a huge goal growing up but it
was also my biggest fear. But after three and a half years of dedication I plan
to get my degree in the fall. Getting this far in college was not easy, it took
encouragement from family, dedication, and assistance from others to reach
this position.

Many years ago I remember my parents telling me that in order for me to

become successful a college education was a must. They always told me that if
I wasn’t in school I could no longer live at home. Both of my parents attended
college but neither of them finished. They did not want me to go down that
same road because they really regret not getting their degrees.

My grades in elementary school were poor because I had trouble paying

attention to things that were not challenging. I tried to play sick just about
every day but my parent were not falling for it. My favorite classes were gym,
music, and art. Competing in sports is where I spent most of my time. The
words of my parents and teachers went in one ear and out the other. “School
just wasn’t interesting to me”
My senior year of high school I decided to dedicate my self to
school work. All I did was take school a little more seriously and
pay attention. Before you know it I had made the honor roll for
the first time and continue to make it the rest of the year. Finally
the extra work was reflecting in my grades. My parents were glad
to see that my education had some meaning.

That summer after school I just wanted to find a job and start
making some money. Going to college for anther four year was
something I thought I could not handle. I final got a job at UPS
unloading trucks. At first I thought how hard could it be? But
every day I would come home exhausted from working in the
heat. And then when I got tiny pay check, it hit me. From then on
I decided that manual labor was something that I could not do the
rest of my life and I could definitely not support a family on that
income. A job behind a desk in the air conditioning was what I
wanted
College is supposed to be this awesome, overwhelmingly fun aspect that really
brightens up your life. I can see why it's generally considered to be like this; after
all, you can further your career, hang out with a multitude of different people and
be more free than ever before. College gives you an unbelievable amount of
opportunities, whether it is joining a club that seems really fun or going to a
professor's office hours for extra help. I've found that college is bursting at the
seams with activities and chances to improve yourself every single day. Every
day at college could be an adventure, in and of itself.

However, college has not been that fun for me. I cannot tell you the
amount of times that I've had to go to bed at 2 a.m. or 3 a.m., due to working on
assignments for one of my classes. It feels as though the work that I get in
college never ends; whether it's writing papers, reading chapters out of a
textbook or completing online assignments, it feels as though I'm always
working. I've been feeling busy and very stressed. I constantly go to the library at
night, stay up very late to study and finish an assignment, and I sacrifice sleep
just to read a couple more pages on a book for class. I've worked ridiculous
amounts for weeks now, and I've had to put aside some of my hobbies as a
result.

However, I've still found ways to enjoy my time at college. The large
workloads and constant stress is something that every college student has to
deal with, which means that I am not alone in feeling this way. Talking to friends
who I really enjoy and respect just makes my day, and it feels good to know that
there are others who have the same stresses as me. Playing my favorite video
game on my trusty Nintendo GameCube is always guaranteed to brighten up my
day, and I've managed to find a solid group of friends that I can rely on in this
confusing, unpredictable and often surprising world that is known as college.

College can be fun and full of worry at the same time. The possibilities that
college offers are exciting and full of wonder, and you have so many
opportunities to better yourself and your future. Additionally, college can also be
time-consuming, strenuous and maddeningly difficult. It is easy to get
overwhelmed with the constant demands of college, but you have to find a way
to not get too brought down by work. You have to live a little every now and then,
and you can find ways to enjoy college.
When in doubt, say “yes.”

Every choice you make has a consequence. Do things you’re going to look back on and remember 10
years from now. If that means watching a new Netflix series in the Coyote Village theater until six in
the morning, then do it. If that means applying for a job that you’re not sure you’re completely
qualified for, do it. If that means deciding to eat MUC dining food for lunch…Rethink that one. Say
“yes” with boundaries, of course.

Find your balance. 

Every college student struggles with this. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the last four years — and
that I’m still working on — it’s that there has to be a balance in everything you do. It’s absolutely
amazing to have a flourishing social life, but that should not come at the expense of your work.
There are ways you can balance being with your friends and doing the things that need to get done,
and that’s different for everyone. Find what works for you and do that so you can make the most of
your college experience while still being successful. 

As cliche as it sounds, get involved.

Please. For the love of God, just do it. I wish I would have done more of this sooner. For the first two
and a half years of college, I focused solely on getting my work done, completely ignoring all of the
things that presented themselves to me. My junior year I joined The Volante and it was one of the
best things I could’ve done. 

After two and a half years, I’d finally found my people. I finally found the people who would become
my life-long friends: people I can laugh-cry with in the middle of the night because I started my paper
the night before it was due;  people who will support each other through our successes and failures.
I can’t imagine my life without the people who surround me today. And all because I joined the
student newspaper. 

Enjoy every second of it.

I used to laugh at the people who told me that college would go by in the blink of an eye. And then it
did. Soak in every single second of these crazy, chaotic, stressful four years. Spend as much time
with your friends as you can. The days go by faster and faster the closer you get to leaving. Take
advantage of the time you do have. 
 When I graduated high school I had different inferences about
college life. I shaped my perception based on what I heard from
movies, teachers and other peers who went to college and returned to
my high school to tell their innumerable crazy college stories. Before
even graduating my friends and I spoke about our detailed planned
college experiences. I saw college as one of the biggest steps of my
life and therefore wanted to be as prepared for it as I could be. Even
though I tried to prepare myself, now that I almost completed my first
year of college I am amused at the young me that was trying to prepare
for college. Now that I am about to become a sophomore at Fordham
University, I derived that there are different similarities and differences
One view I had during high school about college life was that,
academically, the college life is very stressful. Although I did not want
to believe that my college life was going to be as stressful, it resulted to
be one of the few accurate inferences that I made. While I was in high
school, I would constantly see many posts on social media about how
college was driving many students insane, and sadly now I understand
why people said such things. Many college students find themselves
stressed in college due to the amount of work they receive and the
weight in the grade that the assignment has. For instance, during my
semester there were different nights were I had to work and study all
night because the next day I had two exams that were worth a large
percentage of my grade. Professors unconsciously prepare
assignments and exams for the same dates or around the same dates,
causing the student to stress because now they need to balance or
prioritize between the two assignments. Not only are some of these
assignments around the same time, but they are also a huge part of the
student 's grade. 
One difference in how I used to view college life in high school
and how I view it now is in regards to social gatherings. When I was in
high school, when it came to speaking about socializing events I
constantly heard about all the college parties and how important they
were for the college life. I asked many students about their college
experiences and instead of telling me about their academic the first
thing they told me was, “ Those college parties are crazy.” I came to
college both excited and frightened about the college parties, however;
in regards to parties my college life is nothing like what I expected. Ever
since I entered college I spent most of my time studying and writing
papers, not leaving me with any time to really socialize with others. I
am constantly obligated to choose between going out with friends and
writing a paper or studying for a quiz, and I feel obligated to pick my
academics. On the other hand, instead of going to parties I found many
people who rather go to museums, the zoo, the movie theater or