The First Day of the Rest of Our Lives

Disclaimer: This initial post on this blog is not consistent with the future mood and content of future posts, nor has this been approved by the aforementioned roommate of mine. Also this is listed under CSE students only as CLA students will not understand it.

So this is it. The first day of the rest of our lives. It's move-in time for college freshmen, and whether we are moving far away or 20 minutes down the road, we are facing a cultural and social change that we have never encountered thus far in our lives.

College is a scary time. New people to meet, professors that will not cater to your every need, and for most of us, it is the first time that we are paying directly for our education. This matters now, and we have to make the most of it.

Some of us are looking for relationships, some have just ended them, and some are dreading moving apart from their significant others. The bittersweet emotions are rampant in our heads, as we try to put up a strong front for our parents. It is crazy and exciting, packing our past 18 years into boxes and heading off to something completely new. We hope to see our good friends from high school again, yet look forward to a new group of people that don't know of your embarrassing and frustrating moments, who you can tell all about your grand accomplishments in high school, and move forward with them through college.

It is a difficult time, this first day that will truly affect us for the rest of our lives. Getting off on the right foot with our roommates, our professors, throwing ourselves into the social scene, doing everything it takes to make the most out of our college experience. But this first day is stressful, it is as close to a new beginning as many people come to. Every moment matters, and that is so scary.

Yet, an important idea to remember is that each day is the first day of the rest of our lives, each day something new can happen. That doesn't mean to wait until tomorrow. Do what you want to do now. But know that this first day in college, your first day in classes, is not the say-all-end-all to the next four years of your life. Each new day offers another experience, another friend to make or concept to grasp. Enjoy these moments, and look forward to each new day as a new beginning from yesterday.