Is college the best four years of your life? So far, I’m not so sure. For many, the very beginning of college can feel less like a first taste of freedom and more like disorientation.

While college absolutely can be a peak stage of life for some people, as a first-year here at Tulane University, my first semester has not lived up to the hype. While I am enjoying my experience here, I have learned that the “perfect college experience” does not just magically begin the second you set foot on campus; you are building a new life for yourself, and that is not a simple task.

The adjustment period from being in the comfort of your own home is tougher than people like to admit and is often accompanied by mental challenges. “Sylly Week” — the nickname for the party-filled first week of classes  — offers an illusion of instant fun and freedom, but beneath the excitement, I was overwhelmed by being suddenly uprooted.  I was so homesick during “Sylly Week” that I stayed in my room, only going out once, longing to be with my parents and sister in Miami. 

Around one out of every three students in their first year of college reported feeling significant homesickness while settling into campus life.

This is the first time young adults are living on their own. Between having to juggle finances, grocery shopping, feeding yourself, balancing social and academic life and taking out the trash, even the basics can feel daunting. The first era of college can feel more like being in survival mode. 

Finding your people can also be really difficult, especially at a school like Tulane, where 86% of undergraduate students are from out of state, and students are coming from many different backgrounds. 

I felt a pressure to project an ideal version of myself to make friends quickly, which gets in the way of genuine connection. The first year at college can be lonely, especially without Greek life rush until the spring. 

At the same time, the academic jump cannot be ignored. Some students took advanced-level placement classes that mimic college rigor, but others arrive underprepared. The pressure to do well in college is big, and the workload and course rigor are significantly more challenging than in high school.  

The first semester is less about knowledge and more about learning how to adapt. Tulane offers services such as Peer Success Leaders and Success Coaching, which aim to help students with adjusting to academic and social changes, but many don’t learn about these resources until they are struggling. 

The image of freshman year presented on social media sets up unrealistic expectations. Social media curates only ideal images, making students feel as though they are failing to keep up with others and are behind. 

You build your college life slowly, through discomfort, mistakes, and the support you find along the way. By the second semester, I believe that routines that once felt foreign will begin to feel familiar, friendships will flourish and coursework will become more controllable. I see it this way: College joy is a marathon, not a sprint.