Emma Bulman
Putting yourself out there and making new friends is a great way to get involved and elevate your college experience.
In the midst of moving into one’s first dorm, apartment or maybe even if you’ve been here a few years, keeping your identity true to yourself in college is challenging.
Sometimes we find ourselves finally waking up on the fifth alarm, throwing on some sweats, going to class, eating in the dining hall, taking a nap and doomscrolling on our phones, just to repeat it again the next day. Why do we do this? What gets us into this cycle?
When I was a sophomore here at Clemson, I finally woke up to this realization when a family member asked me what I do for fun. Sure, I see friends and go out on the weekends, but what was I doing for me? This is when I had the realization that I needed to take my life back. Even though I lived in a dorm, this didn’t mean I couldn’t do the things I always loved.
When I started doing these simple things, waking up 15 minutes earlier to do my hair, being intentional about going out and taking a walk, calling people on the phone to catch up and reading, just to name a few, I started to become a lot happier. These small things can make much more of a difference than you might think.
College can become a time where people conform to what others are doing around them. This is perfectly natural. But when we do things because it fills our own cups, and not others, it makes a world of difference.
Think to yourself, what do I like to do? What is something I haven’t done in a while at college that usually makes me really happy? Nine times out of 10, just because you aren’t home doesn’t mean you can’t do this. Trying a new restaurant, attending church, going on a drive or doing anything that helps you feel less like you’re living in a college simulation can improve your happiness levels significantly.
With this new mindset also comes learning to saying no to some things. Sometimes, we feel obligated to do something, maybe because a friend wants us to, but we don’t particularly want to do that thing at the moment. There is no need to give a long-term excuse and be worried that they might get mad; saying “no” to something is an answer in itself. If something doesn’t serve you, don’t do it, and instead, do something that improves your mental well-being.
College can be a time where people lose or find themselves! Do things that make you remember who you are.
Abney Smith is a senior communications major from Marietta, Georgia. Abney can be reached at [email protected].