Where do I even begin to explain my college experience thus far? This has literally been some of the most teaching and memorable last couple of months of my life. To the people that I've met thus far that have been so beneficial to my growth and amplifying my college experience in a positive way, I cannot thank you enough. Having good people around you will truly make or break your college experience and I've learned in some of the hardest ways.
I won't say everything that's happened in depth because not everything that's happened only involved me and I know some people may not want their business out there. I've broken down the different aspects of my life in college into categories which I hope will help you be able to better follow along and get a gist of what things have been like through my eyes.
So sit back, relax, and get this tea!
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HBCU Life was pretty much everything I expected it to be after doing my research. I made sure to know about housing, the food, staff, and even the party life. It definitely makes a difference when you network beforehand. However, there's nothing like truly experiencing it for yourself.
Academics
My grades honestly haven't been that bad. I feel like they could've been better in comparison to how I'm used to them being but we're not entirely off track. None of my classes were terribly hard which was good. However, every now & then I'd get an assignment from what seems like the devil himself! (Thank God for guidance and clarity, am I right?) All I can really do is just hope for the best because if I'm being honest, any class that doesn't involve writing is a struggle for me. Me and math ain't never got along & I don't even wanna look at another science-related formula in my life if I can help it. Much of the curriculum in my journalism classes was review for me because of my previous journalistic teachings which made the material easier. I just wasn't used to everything being so electronic. For some classes, it was good. For others, it honestly wasn't even necessary.
Party Life
Before you ask, yes they are lit. However, I didn't realize how repetitive parties could get, but I think it honestly was just the hype of it all for me. Same vibes, same music-- it just gets old after a
Of course, I made it back safely or I wouldn't be typing this all out to you, but just communicate with those who you go out with. Also, make sure you have a good amount of money in your account just in case you have to buy the Lyft yourself :)
Drink responsibly and smoke responsibly if you decide to & make sure if it's new for you, you don't do too much because you don't know what your limits are just yet.
Relationships
I've encountered so many different types of people, went through lots of changes in my personal relationships and seen so many crazy things. The people that I started NSO (New Student Orientation) week with are still around, but not as heavily as before. I realized that it’s not always about who you start with, it’s about who you finish with. I have more acquaintances than friends and it’s honestly kinda scary. It really wavered my trust for a little while until I realized that I’m literally with all strangers now. None of these people actually know me for real or at least not the way my family or close friends back home do. Everything is fresh and new. However, I also didn't realize how when you're in a whole new environment how much you grow & sometimes outgrow people because you all are no longer on the same path together. Saddening, but true. It's the people you least expect that you lose a connection with.
{Sidebar} Can I just say real quick how much I LOVE my HerCampus family? I joined over the summer and even though I wasn’t an active member at that point, just being in the group chat and feeling included really helped me feel valued. What they stand for as far as women’s empowerment and the art of the creative mind is really something I admire.
The Day to Day
As far as Hampton itself, I really do enjoy the school. Constantly being surrounded by young adults of color trying to push towards success is not only motivating but liberating as well. Along with having the majority of the people I see whether its a custodian or all the way up to our president, they're all people of color. It's not that we don't have other races around, but being the majority for once in my life in school has been so eye-opening for me. It helped me to be reminded that it's not always about fitting in with others, it's about creating your own thing because chances are there are others that aren't fitting in too. It’s also true what they say about being broke (even though half the time it don’t be really being broke, it just be acting broke to avoid spending money you don’t have to) My money goes almost as fast as my snacks do. I try my best to combat stress by seeking God daily and not spreading myself thin with my schedule.
Messiness
I'm not going to spend too much time on the negative experiences I've had while in college because I've learned from them and grown. However, I would like to be realistic about the realities of college. What I've learned the hard way is that everyone is not your friend. You got people so insecure about themselves, they talk down on others. Then, you got people on the other hand with half they head filled with so much air they oughta be a hot air balloon. There are so many conversations that people have behind closed doors that never reach the people it should address & even though we're all still trying to figure things out-- what happened to the human decency? What do you actually gain from being around someone you don't like? The answer is simple and I'm sure you can already guess what it is :) All the extra is so unnecessary. That's why I plan on leaving all the mess in 2019.
Always a pleasure sharing with you, thank you.
