Christie Garton - U Chic: College Girls Real Advice for Your First Year (and Beyond!)

GETTING STARTED

COLLEGE MAY SEEM FAR off (even for you recent high school graduates with a summer ahead of you), but its closer than you think! No matter where you are in your preparations for the exciting transition to college, this chapter has you covered. You probably are already well aware that the transition to college is a major stress. Besides maybe summer camp, when else have you packed up your entire lifes belongings into several boxes and suitcases to head off to an unknown place to live with some random stranger? To help you find your path, this chapter is filled with insider advice on making this transition with confidence and styleand even a little bit of chutzpah!

GETTING READY FOR THE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE

From the moment I got my acceptance letter to college, I couldnt stop thinking about my new life that was about to begin. The end of high school could not come fast enough. As excited as I was, I was also a bit anxious. This would be the first time in four years that boys would be in the same classroom with me. This would be my first time ever wearing normal clothes to class. And on top of that, thinking about the new experience of living with three girls I had never met before and being away from my family made me a bundle of nerves. I did my best to hide my anxiety behind my excitement to start a new chapter in my life.

Im embarrassed to admit this, but I cried hysterically when my mom drove away from my dorm. It was then that I realized I wouldnt be seeing her the next day. I was being a bit dramatic, but I couldnt repress how I felt any longer. I had this fantasy that college was going to be a perfect place, and a chance for a new beginning. I think if I had spent more time appreciating my senior year of high school, instead of building up pretend scenarios about college in my mind, I would not have freaked out as much. I learned that the most important expectation you can have about college is that you have to be flexible.

WHEN THINGS DONT GO AS PLANNED

My freshman year I had a set schedule. I was a cheerleader and worked part time on top of taking a full courseload. It was perfect for my type-A personality. Even to this day, I thrive on routines. This routine turned out to be critical in helping me get used to my new life in college.

However, even with a set schedule and routine, you cant plan for everything. Life happens and you can either go with it or fight against it. I started at Manhattan College as a business management major. I never would have expected this to happen, but the spring semester of my freshman year, I failed a math class that I needed for my major! I was devastated. I had never gotten a grade lower than a B+, let alone failed a class. I called my mom and she told me Id have to pay my own way in order to retake the class. So I got a job on campus that summer. I worked full time and saved enough to retake the class. But guess what happened. Even though I had enough money to retake the class, my gut was telling me not to register for it. Was I scared I would fail again? Or was there an even bigger issue? Was this major not right for me?

BEING FLEXIBLE WITH EXPECTATIONS

I spent that fall semester miserable with my classes, but comfortable with my routine. I still had that uneasy feeling in my gut that I may have picked the wrong major.

A friend told me how he was minoring in communications, and that he was loving it; I was instantly intrigued. I made an appointment with the School of Arts advisor and brought up the question of switching majors. I would still have to make up the credit, but it would be a science class. And I was more interested in science than math. Even after talking with the advisor I was hesitant to change the plan I had made for myself during my senior year of high school. It took some time, but I realized I was a different person than I had been two years ago. In a matter of months, I had changed. A few signatures later, I was in the School of Arts, majoring in communications with a public relations concentration.