Adjusting to Insanity

I was asked by one of my readers to discuss the adjustments that need to be made in the transition from high school to college and how to make those adjustments.  This quote by R.D. Laing is how I would sum up the adjustment to college, "Insanity - a perfectly rational adjustment to an insane world."  Although it is not very encouraging, this is literally it!  Adjusting to college life is insanity but it is the only rational way to adjust to the world of college.

Now, there are many different aspects that need adjusting when you leave the comfort of your parent's home and move into a dorm room with some stranger.  I would have to say that leaving your parents, siblings, family, friends, and pets is the most dramatic change that you can make in your life. Confession, I don't know what to say to aid you along in the process of leaving your parents.  Everyone is different.  For me personally, I was itching to get out on my own and start my own life.  I think that this really helped with being home sick because I knew that I was actually pursuing the one thing that I had wanted for so long, freedom.

"How do I adjust to living with someone else?"  Haha!  This is a good question that you ask!  If I were to label the phases of adjustment, I would have to say that this is the most awkward out of all of them.  Depending on what type of school that you go to, the Student Life office usually does a decent job of matching you up with someone that has a similar interest as you.  I was honestly blessed to be placed with my roommate Maddy because we share the same petpeeves, we have the same viewpoints on religion and faith, as well as both of us being on the softball team.  I would have to say that the first key to adjusting to living with another person is the be courteous.  Remember when your parents told you to kill people with kindness, adapt this phrase into your relationship.  Christ said to do unto others what you would want done unto you.

DORM FOOD!  I will try my best to stay focused on the concept of adjusting rather than bashing how awful the food can be at times.... (oops?!)  Ok, so your brain will not have any problems adjusting to the fact that there are endless options of food to eat from salad bars to pizza to burger stations.  Your body on the other hand will not thank you for the amount of time, or lack there of, that it will take to digest the food.  If I would suggest one thing to adjusting to the food I would say make sure that the majority of your plate is full of veggies and proteins that you get from plants.  I have noticed that the meats and carbs are cooked with some sort of oil that leaves you feeling full for a very short period of time.  So, focus on hearty salads and veggies and remember, an occasional slice of pizza is ok.

Adjusting to friends was another interesting aspect of college life.  Take advantage of your freshman orientation week.  Ditch your parents for an hour, grab your roommate, and go explore!  Find all of the buildings where you will have classes, pinpoint the closest coffee shop to each classroom, and introduce yourself to other freshman along the way.  Something that I realized a few weeks into classes was that every freshman was on the same page.  Trying to find ways of coping and adjusting to this new chapter in life made everyone in the same awkward stage of trying to find friends.  Be comfortable with being uncomfortable, be awkward together, and most importantly, be yourself.

So, hopefully this gives you some good insight on how to adjust to college life and I will be praying for all of my senior friends who will be starting a new life here in a few months!  Take a deep breath, everything will be ok, and embrace your awkwardness!

Confessions,
Chaleigh

P.S. If you have any questions or topic proposals for my blog I would love to hear them!  Just leave a comment and I will get back to you! :)