Does College Get Better After First Semester?
Your first semester was less than stellar. You might now be anxious about the return to college. Does college get any better or will every semester feel like the very first semester did?
Good news: second semester is different in a good way for most freshmen. If you found yourself unhappy or even miserable most of your first semester, know that the worst is most likely behind you.
How and why is second semester a step up? Below are 3 ways in which this next semester is different and usually better for freshmen!
You have some experience.
At the start of the first semester, you had no idea what was ahead. You had more questions than answers and more anxieties than comforts. Overall, you had little to no experience with college.
With first semester under your belt, you may wonder if this next semester will be as stressful as the first one. Generally speaking, second semester is an entirely different experience—a much better experience.
You’ve learned how to adjust to college academics. Even if you didn’t earn “good” grades, you learned how to contact your teachers, ask for help, and adjust your studying approach. You are better prepared for your upcoming classes.
You’ve learned how to adjust to dorm life. The idea of living with a stranger may have terrified you last semester. You learned to adjust to this new normal, to confront your roommate before small problems become big ones, to speak up instead of suffering in silence, etc. You are better prepared for the realities of dorm life this next semester.
You’ve learned how to adjust to the college schedule. College is likely different than you thought it would be. Even if you were an overachieving high school student, last semester taught you that college is still challenging. The college schedule is typically faster paced and requires more of a balancing act. You are better prepared for the level of time management you need during next semester.
You’ve learned how to adjust to being away from home. Whether you struggled with general loneliness or homesickness, you had to struggle through this difficult time of transition. You learned that going home too often actually makes the feelings of loneliness and homesickness worse. You are better prepared to face the semester.
You know what uncertainties lie ahead.
Before college, you experienced more uncertainties than certainties. You had only a small picture of what really was to come, but now that you’ve finished a semester you have a fuller picture.
Here are four things that will be more certain this semester:
What living with a roommate will be like: Living with a college roommate isn’t really like sharing a room with a sibling or a chance to find a new best friend. You know this now, and (if you’re not switching roommates) you likely know what living with your actual roommate is like too.
What college classes will be like: Most college classes aren’t really harder than high school classes. They’re just different. The assessments, the requirements, and your professors are different. But, in general, your freshman year classes are not harder than your high school classes.
What making friends in a new place will be like: Making new friends in a new place is a skill, and one you likely haven’t had to develop since middle school. While first semester may have been unbearably lonely and awkward, you know what it takes to make friends in a new place now. You are prepared to put in the work to make meaningful friendships.
What living away from home will be like: Living away from home in many ways was harder than you may have thought. Doing your own laundry, taking care of yourself when you’re sick, and other tough parts of being away from home took some adjusting. You’ve learned new skills or improved your skills, but after a semester you don’t really mind doing some of these tasks for yourself.
You’ve learned to get back up.
College didn’t teach you this skill, but you’re starting to learn it: failure is an important and necessary part of life.
A poor test grade doesn’t mean you should give up trying in a class. You’ve learned that the key to earning good grades is to focus more on actually learning. You’ve learned to study better, to try harder, to put in more work, etc. You’ve learned not to let one bad grade keep you from trying in a class.
An awkward social interaction doesn’t mean you should give up on trying to be friends with a person. Making friends in a new place can be awkward. You’ve learned to care less about what people think of you and more about building relationships. You’ve learned to think less about how you feel and more about how others feel.
A bad interaction with a teacher doesn’t mean your teacher doesn’t want to help you. Sometimes your professors can be hard to read, awkward outside of class, and seem distant in one-one interactions. You’ve learned that this is just sometimes how some teachers are. You’ve learned to be more assertive, to take initiative, and to meet with your professors outside of class to get help.
Second semester is better for most college freshmen. You can’t see into the future and know this for sure, but in general you are much more prepared for the challenges ahead. You know what to expect and you’ve learned how to handle the challenges of college better. You can have a fresh and better start to your second semester!
