When I recall the beginning of my freshman year, it feels unreal. I was thrust into a new situation with new people and expected to just “figure it out.” Thousands of freshmen on campus were experiencing this with little to no advice except to study and make friends.
Before arriving at Ohio University, I spent weeks watching “What to expect at college” and “How to adjust to college life” TikTok and YouTube videos, and felt somewhat prepared. “How hard could it be?” was my mantra. I thought I knew exactly what college would be like.
Turns out, it’s much more complicated.
You’ll hear the word adjustment many times, because that’s exactly what college is, a massive adjustment that changes your responsibilities, goals, habits and friendships. It’s a big change, and sadly, no TikToks or Reddit forums can prepare you.
The basis of this adjustment is effort. Effort makes or breaks your college experience. People say, “college is what you make of it,” which is the best piece of advice you’ll get. Effort makes the difference between simply existing in college and actually building a new life. While this can be exhausting, it’s also incredibly rewarding.
When your parents leave after move-in day, the first thing to recognize is, “I’m on my own now.” From big things such as remembering assignments, due dates and keeping yourself organized, to the small things such as doing laundry and choosing dinner, nobody is there to make these decisions for you.
You have to make a conscious effort to try new things and make good choices. Good grades, meaningful friendships and memorable experiences don’t happen automatically because you want them to or because they should.
Academically, some struggle in college after coasting through high school with relatively little effort. According to The 74, “One in four young adults across the U.S. is functionally illiterate – yet more than half earned high school diplomas.” Students are moving through school without retaining any functional skills, resulting in 20% of young adults with high school diplomas who don’t have the skills to match it.
This coasting phenomenon ends in college, and effort is essential. Education Data Initiative says, “First-time full-time undergraduate freshmen have a 12-month dropout rate of 22.3%,” and “College dropouts are 100% more likely to be unemployed than any degree holder.” College isn’t impossible, and one bad semester doesn’t mean failure; however, success in college is rarely an accident. Going to class, studying when you don’t want to and asking for help all require effort.
While hardships and external circumstances may arise, it’s important not to let effort, or lack of it, drive you out of college.
Social life works the same way, as it can be easy to isolate yourself. If I wanted to, I could go an entire day without talking to anybody, but studies by Texas Health show, “ … one short chat per day with friends can have a positive impact on mental well-being.”
Short and sweet conversations with others create a sense of belonging and community, which works against stress. Still, this requires initiative. Effort means introducing yourself, approaching new people and saying yes to plans even when you feel nervous.
OU offers many resources that helped me during my freshman year. Activities requiring effort, whether it be physical or mental, made my days much better.
Ping Recreation Center offers group fitness classes, including pilates and yoga, where I could move my body without having to create my own workout plan or playlist. I also joined The Post, where I wrote for the opinion section and got creative control over what I wrote and when I wrote it. Pushing myself out of my comfort zone allowed me to improve my writing skills and form friendships with other writers.
If student journalism or workout classes aren’t for you, OU has over 550 student organizations and over 100 weekly programs and events. These organizations are eager to welcome new members in the fall, so keep an eye out for information about open houses and welcome week events.
Nobody has everything figured out in college, but effort makes everything much easier. College won’t magically become the best four years of your life without effort and initiative to try new things and succeed.
Abby Shriver is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Abby about their column? Email/message them at as064024@ohio.edu / @abbyshriver_
