Throughout high school, I was repeatedly told by adults that college would be the best years of my life. I always thought they were crazy. After all, high school was pretty good, and it didn’t seem like things could get drastically better. After about a semester and a half as a college student, I can confirm that these have already been some of the best months of my life.
Now, before I go on and on about why college is amazing, let me clarify a few things. I am not oblivious to all of the problems that are part of the college experience. Classes are hard, the adjustment can be tough, and everyone struggles with their own hardships.
When my parents come to visit, I try to give them the full experience of living a day in my life, well, minus the classes, homework, and club meetings. Basically, they get to see the campus and, occasionally, will eat at Pierce to try and relive the college dining experience. Despite how hard I try, or what I plan, there is no way to share my favorite parts of everyday life. How can I show them my immense love for getting to Babbio absurdly early for class just to sit in the little outcoves and stare at my phone? Is it possible to replicate the joy of a cup of dining hall hot chocolate? On a side note, if you haven’t tried the hot chocolate dispenser in Pierce, you totally should. The salted caramel is the best by far. To everyone else, it might just be a good cup of hot chocolate, but for my friends and me, it is a time to chat about our day and temporarily forget about the stresses of life. The point is, I can’t drag my parents to sit in a cubicle in a random academic building and say “See! This is why I love college!” They would definitely have some concerns if I were to do that.
As I sit here and stare at the people walking along the pier outside my window, it is impossible to doubt that these little moments make up the magic of college. While events like concerts, parties, and trips into the city are memorable, the tiny glimmers of happiness in everyday life are really the parts that add up to make college so amazing. Sometimes I wonder if this sudden passion for finding joy all around me is only due to the fact that I was expecting college to be wonderful since everyone told me that leading up to it. Maybe if I had this attitude earlier in life, high school would have been equally incredible. Luckily, it is impossible to know whether a shift in thinking could have made my past self exponentially happier. All I can do is take this as a lesson for the future. Try to find that glimmer of happiness wherever you go. Sometimes it is harder to see, but it is always there. I am aware that this entire article is full of quotes that sound like they belong on mugs at discount stores, but I promise these are the thoughts genuinely going through my mind right now. Maybe it’s the universe telling me to get a job as a corny quote writer.
Mind of a Freshman is an Opinion column written by one or two first-year Stevens students to discuss life experiences during their time at Stevens, and other related subject matter.
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