adjusting to college life

[S4R]

So I started college monday. I'm living in a dorm room with a guy I don't know at all, hopefully will get to know better. I'm completely out of my element, and right now it sucks ass. None of my friends are going to the same college I am, so I have to make completely new friends, which so far hasn't been quite as easy as I hoped, though it is only the third day.

So can anyone else relate to this situation? What helped you out? How did you adjust to all the changes and depression you have about missing home/family/friends/comfort zone/ and all the stuff you used to do?

You’re singing a tune that perhaps in upwards of everyone on your floor will sing initially. Naturally you’re going to get to know you’re roommate and as for others on your floor and campus your safest bet is to simply knock on doors and say hello to people, if that’s difficult, you can expect others to come to you. Join clubs geared towards your major; peruse the library, perhaps even workout on occasion. I’m as introverted as they come, but despite the unending annoyances on my floor and on campus I managed to find a niche here and there.

While we’re on the topic, I may as well tell my freshman year story. Just in case you don’t know, I’m at Northern Illinois University.

I perhaps had it easier than shivering corpse because I knew my roommate from high school. The introvert in me went to extremes I need not get into to ensure I would know my roommate. But we requested a “suite” which meant we would have two additional roommates. One of them, Ray, was as clichéd as a male college student comes; thusly I’ll let you assume the basics because they’re spot on. My other roommate Kyle and I became great friends and it was him that steered me more into the world of metal. It couldn’t have been more than a few days into the semester and I had been on a Pink Floyd binge, finally I put in some Manowar, hehe, and he came into my room with some albums he felt needed to be heard to combat my interest in Manowar, one of which was Devin Townsend’s Ocean Machine. He also rekindled my interest in Opeth, up until that point I had only heard MAYH, his favorite was Orchid. At any rate, the rest plus 5000+ posts is history.

As for my involvement on campus freshman year, I never joined any clubs, but I returned to fencing on occasion and played pick-up games of basketball and always participated in floor activities, some were painful, but by in large I enjoyed them. I was excited in general by the new found freedom, and anything beat my usual sitting by myself in the basement. Let loose, but continue to judge your limits. Call me an optimist, but I think college can be inviting, even for the highest degree of introverts.

 

[-Desecrated-]

I'm going to be starting college in Spring, but I'm not worried about making friends. I'm worried about the actual work and if I can handle it. I won't be drinking. I won't be joining fraternities and I won't be partying. And I'm assuming I won't be busy trying to get laid either. I probably won't need to spend much time trying to make friends as people seem to gravitate towards me anyway.

I know one thing for sure though, I'll be buried in books and I don't understand why people think that's a 'waste'. College was never about partying or having sex. Oh but the experience! You'll never have a chance to experience this again! Who cares? I wouldn't want to experience being attacked by a bear, how is this any different? Yes, I just likened fraternity life to being attacked by a bear. It doesn't make much sense, but deal with it.

What I mean is this - Why bother trying to experience something you know you won't enjoy?

 

[MetalManCPA]

Time.

Adjusting takes time. Don't hurry, and don't expect things to change overnight. Be yourself, and approach college with the attitude of you're there to get an education which hopefully will result in a successful career, all the while remembering that you should do your best to enjoy your time there, as once it is over, you'll be dumped in the rat race.

Parental advice - don't have too much fun, or the fun that could jeopardize your future. Be smart, and open minded.

 

[ShadowLioness]

Ah, college. It amazes me to think that I have already been out of it for 5 years. Anyway...

The first couple of years I attended a University that was only 15 minutes from home. That sucked in a LOT of ways, and I hated the school anyway. I got smart and transferred my third year to a school 350 miles away. I saw it as a vast opportunity and it gave me a sense of superb freedom from a world where I wasn't allowed to do much.

I lived in the dorms for three years. I had a roommate the first year and she was nuts. The last two years I spent alone in my dorm, which was co-ed and 21 and over. This rocked in many ways. If you are a shy person, it's ok. Merely saying "hi" to someone on your floor as you pass them in the hall is all ya need. Friendships grow quickly in that type of environment. In most schools, the R.A.'s coordinate a LOT of floor activities. Participate in them. It's ok to miss home (thugh I really didn't). Call your folks or your old friends every couple of weeks, but don't hold on to your high school years like a "woobie" if ya know what I mean.

I went to a University NOTORIOUSLY known for being a party school. You don't have to get caught up in all that if you don't want to. Everything is a choice. I did party a bit more my last year, but I always made it to class and I always made the grade. So I will chime in with the others...have fun, you're in college for fucks sake. It's really not all about classes. College is more about teaching you how to live, how to become your own person and how to deal with that big bad outside world. I wish ya luck =) Just think, in the end you will have that piece of paper and about 20 grand in loans to pay back. Hooray! Hopefully though you'll have a lot of memories to take with you as well.

 

[shivering corpse]

I seriously do appreciate all the replies, and I think I'm gonna go introduce myself to some guys I haven't met yet that I hear talking down the hall

 

[IanDork107]

Walk around with your cock hanging out. Everyone will love you.

 

[Beth]

I never thought I'd have so much in common with a Christian virgin-on-purpose.

Funny, isn't it?

Well your freshman year of college was my idea of HELL. Sorry you had to go through that
I'm already very very introverted and basically anti-social and am a bit of a misanthrope to boot. I look at people my age with disgust. Aaaand I don't drink, hate hearing people "partying" and getting drunk, and hate hearing them the next day talking about how drunk they were the night before. Add all of that to my OCD about keeping everything I touch sanitized (and especially read: BATHROOM), and you get the reason that it'd be impossible for me to lead a normal student life.

So to whoever said that apartments make you introverted and everything, yeah, blah, read what I just said :Smug:

 

[Xtokalon]

my freshman roommate (1 of 2) was a hardcore 2pac sycophant, who took like 3 showers a day (mostly to get undressed and walk around with a towel), had no qualms about getting undressed in front of me, and frequently cited rap lyrics while flexing in front of the mirror.

needless to say, that guy was my hero.

(not really)

 

[shivering corpse]

hahha, at least he provided some entertainment in the "this guy can't be for real" kind of way

 

[S4R]

my freshman roommate (1 of 2) was a hardcore 2pac sycophant, who took like 3 showers a day (mostly to get undressed and walk around with a towel), had no qualms about getting undressed in front of me, and frequently cited rap lyrics while flexing in front of the mirror.

My roommate Ray that I spoke of, used to walk around with his shirt hanging over his shoulder, not as bad as walking around in a towel, but pretentious attention whoring nevertheless.

 

[-Desecrated-]

my freshman roommate (1 of 2) was a hardcore 2pac sycophant, who took like 3 showers a day (mostly to get undressed and walk around with a towel), had no qualms about getting undressed in front of me, and frequently cited rap lyrics while flexing in front of the mirror.

needless to say, that guy was my hero.

(not really)

He probably wanted your sex.

 

[FangsFirst]

My roommate was a dirty fuck and he masturbated all over everything.
I hate his fucking guts, and he can stop drinking my soda and kicking things around me now.

 

[bleedingskeptic]

oh, college stuff eh. well...i've got a good story.

i'm going to go to NIU (which is 30 minutes from me parents house). i was supposed to dorm in a room with my high school buddy, but my parents saw the actual rooms and backed out of paying for the room. they said i'd get sick and stuff, which is true because i'm severely toxed out and my lymph nodes swell up to the size of balloons and i'm going to start up a detoxing diet which would be destroyed by dorm living. so my parents then go and buy me a townhouse, which surpised the fuck out of me. they bought it pre-construction for cheap so they make equity the second its finished which is a plus for them and when i get in there with some mates our rent will be moderately cheap...did i mention its a REALLY nice townhouse? so, i don't get to room with my friend in a dorm first year, but he hears about this and obviously is pretty much going to be living with me anyways. oh, and he plays keyboard and he rules and we are going to write some uber-cool music. however the house won't be finished until november so i'll have to commute until then. kind of a weird situation, kinda liked it for some reasons, kinda disliked it for others...but i see no reason to complain.

now, since i stopped binge posting on this forum i've gotten a girlfriend. we are both obsessed with the same music, and in fact we jam all the time (she plays guitar and violin, so much fun music to be made). i don't know many people who could do that with their girlfriends. in fact i met her in one of my attempts to form a band. she learned the song i wrote, everyone else just fucked around and talked about alcohol. so we've seen opeth twice and dream theater together, actually along with my high school friend who i was supposed to dorm with. good times. she has one more year of high school to finish and then she plans on joining us at NIU. she's about the only reason i don't want to go to college, but i think we'll manage. so we'll live a 25-30 minutes away from eachother instead of 15. i think we both care enough for eachother to manage that. plus her parents are taking ideas from mine and thinking of buying her a townhouse also when she heads of to college.

so there, everything sounds like its wrapped up in a neat little package, doesnt it? i was all set for this...then my world got flipped upside down...literally.

on monday my friend kyle (aka the stone's hinge) and i were going to get together along with my high school buddy to celebrate going to college. i was heading to pick up the stone's hinge at about noon and was on an exit ramp and took a turn to fast. the back end of my car began to slide, i tried to compensate but my front tire hit gravel and the car slid sideways into the grass where the front driver side tire caught in some mud and my car kinda rolled down a hill. its amazing though, the roof didn't cave in, i was strapped to my seat the whole time and the car landed on its wheels. i literally turned off the engine and walked out unscathed, i was hardly shaken up.

so there goes my car. there goes me commuting which means my parents are now paying for a dorm room for the first semester which makes me feel like shit because of all they've done for me. it looks like i'll get my liscense suspended for a good long time which will make making money really hard, if not impossible, and i don't know how i'll see my girlfriend.

now, i know i should consider myself lucky to be alive, and this isn't the worst situation in the world, but its just a shock because i was all ready for how things were planned out and then i go flip a car. and i have no one to be upset with for fucking all that was planned out for myself which is fun to come out of an accident really pissed with yourself.

i just thought that would make anyone with pre-college uncertainties feel a little better.

 

[MURAI]

I'm already very very introverted and basically anti-social and am a bit of a misanthrope to boot. I look at people my age with disgust. Aaaand I don't drink, hate hearing people "partying" and getting drunk, and hate hearing them the next day talking about how drunk they were the night before.

Heh heh yeah. I'm pretty much like you so you rule. I'm pretty introverted. I do make friends but not the kind of guy that makes friends with anybody if you know what I mean. I hate when people show off about how drunk they got in some party.. Like who gives a flying fuck? You think that makes you cool? Fucking bullshit. I like to drink on my own. I'm going to college in September from home but I'm not going there to party around and shit. It's Illustration and it's an expensive course with a heavy workload. I thought of residence but it's too damn expensive.

 

[EdgeJ]

Coconut fudge really blows down those blues,
but you'll have to have them all pulled out after the savoy truffle...

 

[Beth]

hehe. Well good luck with that.

I would say that no one should drink and go to stupid parties, but everyone would call me a prude and try to kick me off the face of the earth

So I won't :Smug:

But I'll just say I'm most content when I'm here with my computer and my cat, with none of those RETARDS around who some people would refer to as my peers.

 

[EdgeJ]

My roommate was a dirty fuck and he masturbated all over everything.
I hate his fucking guts, and he can stop drinking my soda and kicking things around me now.

heyyyy, I resent that!
and someone better say something about what I posted above, or I will flip out and kill the entire forum!

 

[MURAI]

Yes Beth. Partying is overrated.

 

[FangsFirst]

Yes Beth. Partying is overrated.

We never went to a party in the entirety of our freshman year, despite being threatened in an attempt to force us to one.
I doubt the sophomore experience will be much different.

 

[EdgeJ]

We never went to a party in the entirety of our freshman year, despite being threatened in an attempt to force us to one.
I doubt the sophomore experience will be much different.

except all the pot we're gonna smoke when we have jobs.