College, up until this point, has been exactly like and nothing like what I expected. For as long as I can remember, I have always heard, “It gets harder in college!” or something of the like. I knew this was the case from day one, that I would have to put in real work, that my “studying” in high school was a joke compared to the coming years of studying. I thought I was prepared, but this semester was a real reality check. I learned that as much as you may love your major, the base classes can be overwhelmingly boring. I, an aspiring veterinarian, have sat through hours learning about the various meat industries. Fun, right? I also realized that even though I'm a science person, I'm really not that great at it, so I now know I have to put a lot more focus into future classes. I thought I was ready, but I know now that no one is actually ready. CPSG 100, for the most part, is what I expected. The excursion activity I went to was centered around climate change, the lectures are opened with a story about climate change, and “global change” is in the name of the program. The only lecture that surprised me was the one about pseudoscience, but in a good way. I'm all for conspiracies, and the science behind them is extremely eye-opening and drew me in. This class perfectly fits the description. As for living on campus, it's even better than I imagined. The thing most people dream about for the dorm life is independence, and even though it's freeing, there are so many more benefits. For example, there's what I call “the bubble.” Something about living on campus makes it seem like its own little world, which for me, helps me focus on what new students want: making time for work, and then time for friends. My logic is that once your work and studying is done, there are only so many other responsibilities you can have, so there can be a lot of free time if you are caught up. “The bubble” also makes you appreciate the outside world, and most importantly, home. My only advice for anyone incoming is to be patient. This applies to getting the hang of it, to feeling at home, to friends, and to happiness. A lot of people expect to move in and find their people and their way right off the bat, but I learned fast that this is unrealistic. No one can be happy without a lit bit of struggling before. Almost a semester in and I'm more than happy with my college life, but I also know that a lot of people have not quite settled yet. Eventually, everybody finds happiness, even if it takes a little while.