When I first moved into my dorm room, I was up all night filled with excitement thinking about the year ahead of me. For the first week of classes, I was up early, eating three meals a day, and sitting in the front row of my classes eagerly paying attention. I felt great and was on top of the world.
Shortly after, I began to slip. The reality of being away from home and the pressure of a 20-credit course load in my first semester began to set in. I began to feel very lost. As someone that worked, played two sports, and was involved in multiple extracurricular activities in high school, the adjustment to college was very different than what I expected. I honestly felt miserable. Many people talk about the great aspects of college, but realistically there are a lot of mental health challenges that arise due to the change of environment and pace.
For the rest of the semester, I tried to stay afloat and finish my classes as strong as I could. I ended up failing a class and performed adequately in everything else. It was a rough semester and I began rethinking every decision that led to that point. Maybe Rutgers, or even college in general, wasn’t for me. I was looking at transferring and other career options because of the lack of confidence and influx of anxiety I had regarding my undergraduate education. I ended up deciding to stay one more semester and try to be more involved on campus and go from there. This ended up being one of the best decisions I have ever made.
I got involved in things other than classwork. I emailed a professor about working in his lab and was then accepted into his summer neuroscience program, I rushed Alpha Chi Rho (a fraternity) and became the social media/community service chair before becoming the vice president later in the year. I soon noticed a major improvement in my grades and overall mental health. I retook my failed class and finished with an A. I adjusted well when everything became virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
I chose to stay at Rutgers-Camden because of the tight-knit community. It has allowed me to succeed and pushes me to expand and grow through the various opportunities that have been offered to me. I have been able to contribute to faculty discussions and make a lasting change by speaking up on my thoughts on courses and campus climate. By speaking up and making my voice heard, I have been able to make a change in places I never thought I would be able to. Rutgers-Camden has so many opportunities if you reach out and explore the possibilities.
Overall, I learned that a first semester or even year at college can be very stressful and hard to find your place on campus. It can feel overwhelming and leave you feeling hopeless. My best advice is to get involved and find your community. The more you put into the Rutgers ecosystem the more you get back. College is the best time to find yourself, and once you find things that you love, everything else will fall into place.
On a final note, mental health is extremely important. If you are struggling, reach out to a friend or family member and if needed, the RUC Student Wellness Center has psychological counselors who can help. Rutgers has a lot of resources available to assist students who are struggling. I strongly recommended utilizing these resources. Your mental health matters just as much as your physical health.