Diary of a Gen Z student: Don't fear starting college, you'll find your way soon enough 

Jane Cowan. Photo: Barry Cronin

It’s September. My Birkenstocks have been put away until next summer and the online orders from Eason are coming in thick and fast. 

Which means one thing: My four months away from college are drawing to a close. I’m going into third year, so I feel like an old hand at the whole college thing now. 

I know where I like to sit in the library, the best time to go use the college gym, that the best on-campus coffee is always off-campus. It’s a funny feeling. 

Not so long ago, I was working it all out. Rambling through the engineering building, in the hope that I might happen upon my Medieval Literature lecture. It’s a rite of passage.

I was excited about starting college. I felt I had grown out of secondary school, during my last couple of years. Teachers keeping track of whether you had been doing your homework. 

Parents being called if you missed a class. So, I had been anticipating and craving the freedom of college for a long time. Even so, starting college was a challenge. 

You don’t know where anything is, who anyone is, what you’re supposed to be doing, or if you’ve signed up for the right degree.

I know that there’s thousands of students going into their first year of college over the next few weeks, grappling with those same things. So, let me offer some of my insights. 

THE LIST

I have made it through two years of college with some sanity remaining. Use me as your guinea pig; I’ve certainly had my share of blunders and learning moments.

Making friends is probably the first item on your list of concerns. 

In my experience, you have to be a bit more intentional about it than you were in secondary school. No one is going to force you to socialise. 

So, get yourself to the meet-ups and events organised for first years. I was hesitant to go to them at the time. The thought of everyone having a clique formed, before the event even started. 

In case you need reminding, it’s not embarrassing to go to these things alone: that’s actually the point! I met some of my closest friends in college on a campus tour during our first week. 

I broke the ice with these girls, by cursing rather loudly after gracelessly walking into a desk in a silent library, during our tour. 

You don’t know how you’re going to cross into friendship territory, but you’ve got to put yourself out there to find out. We still laugh about the bruise I earned during that campus tour. 

What a loss it would have been, if I’d let my fear of a bit of discomfort keep me from meeting new people. I’d have missed out on so many friendships, that have bolstered me throughout the past two years. 

CHALLENGES

Doing things that challenge you is probably the most beneficial thing you can do with your years in college.

The fear that you’re studying the wrong thing is likely to come up, too. During my first week of lectures, I remember being asked by family and friends if I ‘loved it’.

At that stage I could hardly find the toilets, never mind figure out if I ‘loved’ learning about the depiction of childhood in Alice in Wonderland. 

Honestly I don’t think anyone knows that they love their course that quickly, so don’t panic if you’re waiting for your burning passion for computer science to kick in. 

You’re not the only one. So, take a breath. You don’t need to have all the answers, four lectures in.

If you didn’t particularly enjoy secondary school, you’ve probably been told that everything will change when you get to college. 

So, it can be disheartening if that isn’t something that happens instantly. Because it can feel like everyone else is finding the transition totally seamless. But the reality is very different.

Most people sort of muddle through it all for longer than they care to admit. I know I certainly did. Bearing that in mind can take the pressure off a little. 

It seems like a far off land, but you’ll find your favourite seat in the library sooner than you think. You’ll feel qualified to dish out your well-seasoned wisdom. You might even find that you enjoy it. Who knows.