Advice from Mel Robbins

I don’t know if you remember what it was like to be a freshman in college, but for many students it’s not an immediate love fest. I think many things are exacerbated in today’s world with social media being so prevalent for teens. It is easy to be lonely and go on social media and think that all of your other high school friends are having the time of their life based on what they are posting on their “highlight reels” that probably isn’t based on reality at all. It is very easy to feel like everyone is having a great time but me.

In the first week of September, there were a few counselors posting on my message board that people were wanting to transfer after only one or two weeks on campus. I wanted to share this podcast that a college friend of mine recently shared with me. It helps normalize what it feels like to be new on a campus, and it gives students some pointers about how to start feeling at home and building a community.

I remember meeting my first friend at college on the very first day when they sat us in groups based on who our academic advisor was. We were both assigned to professor Richard Peterson in the sociology department even though neither of us said we were planning on majoring in sociology. She is still one of my closest friends today, 27 years later. I was very lucky that Tanya and I met immediately, but it definitely took some time to form a group of friends. I think in today’s world, students feel that this is not normal. Hopefully, this podcast will help someone’s freshman or high school senior.