My new life at college

It was quite a sad day when I got into my family’s car and waved goodbye to my hometown of Avon Park, Fla. For 13 years, I had grown used to quiet roads, friendly faces and the comfort of living at home.

The day I left marked the end of my childhood and opened up a new chapter in my adult life. I would no longer have my mom or dad around to help me when challenges arose. My college life was starting, and with that came many adjustments!

On my first day at college, I met several people from all parts of the world. Their personalities were quite different from what I had grown up knowing, but hey—college is a learning experience.

I never expected to make friends the first day of college, but people were so outgoing and helpful that is was hard not to. As soon as I made one friend, I made about three more because of the networking process!

With my new friends, I attended many multicultural events and programs geared toward freshmen. By getting involved, I was thinking less and less of my life back home and more of the new life ahead of me.

In these past few weeks, I’ve learned so much about living in a big city, being more social and learning how to take care of myself. I’ve learned a great deal about different cultures, city life and organization. The one discovery that is the most important, however, is the discovery of the person I was always too timid to show to the world. As a new individual, I will be more open to challenges in the future, and I will keep my eyes and ears open to only the good things in life!

Tanya Walwyn is a freshman at the University of South Florida.

Article provided by