From Solitude to Crowds and From the Living Room to the Classroom

Terrified, anxious, and timid – that is how most freshmen feel when stepping onto the college campus that they have chosen to spend the next four years of their life. I was certainly no exception to this; in fact, I experienced those feelings at their fullest because I had been a homeschool student my whole life. The idea of making the transition from solitude to crowds and from the living room to the classroom was very daunting to me.

Yep, believe it or not, I was one of those people who had never stepped into a school cafeteria or been in crowds as large and as intimidating as I imagined Pensacola Christian College’s student body to be. Needless to say, I was scared and hesitant about college life. How in the world could someone like me adjust to eating with hundreds of people my age when I had grown up eating my school lunches of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (too bad it wasn't SPAM) with my siblings at the kitchen table? Thankfully, my fears were quickly alleviated when I began college. I learned to enjoy eating in the Four Winds and Varsity very early on. I also realized that being part of a crowd as large as PCC's student body just meant that I would have many opportunities to meet life-long friends.

If learning to eat with hundreds of people wasn't a big enough adjustment, the idea of sitting in a classroom terrified me. Although my mom had set very high standards for my education at home, I knew I wouldn’t be accustomed to rigid desks (couches are so much more comfortable), punctuality, and strict deadlines. Ironically, the thing that scared me most about a college classroom was taking notes, something I had never done before. Although I was nervous my first day of classes, I was quickly set at ease when I entered my very first class and was greeted by a smiling teacher. Each of my teachers was very understanding and willing to work with my classmates and I while we made the adjustments to college life. They gave constant reminders about due dates and were always happy to answer questions. To make matters even better, I found that note taking wasn't nearly as scary as I had thought it would be!

Due to the fears mentioned above, I entered life at PCC with much apprehension, only to find out that all of my worries were in vain. I was shocked to learn that there were several other homeschool students making the very same adjustments. As you can see, there really is no reason to be afraid. An open-mind and a desire to have a great college experience is all that is needed to make a smooth transition from solitude to crowds and from the living room to the classroom.

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The thoughts and opinions expressed in Life in the Nest are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Pensacola Christian College.
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