First year college experiences

I've recently passed my first year journalism exams and so the adventure will continue in September. Dedicating my free time to a period of reflection; I'm going to share some first year experiences that may or may not relate to other college students. Recently I joined the unemployment brigade which has allowed me to dedicate more time to writing, which is what I want to be doing as a career. 

Day one of college in itself inspires a collection of memories. The walk through the city of Dublin that feels indstinguishable to the previous slumber to the old rural secondary school. Looming buildings, dozens of traffic lights and hundreds of diverse people. Cities are places to be admired. Eventually arriving at your new home of education (and other forms of ed) you realise you have a delicate idea of where you're going. A sea of students grouped at tables or walking in unison as you stand isolated trying to make sense of a timetable that's difficult to interpret.

Our first lecture will always be an indelible recollection. You feel a nervous excitement as you glance around at your new course mates, sub-consciously judging them and trying to decipher if you and they shall become acquaintances. In reality friendships develop naturally over time. You can never know a person from an initial meet. Anyway, at least your sitting in the safety of a room with other people whom share similar interests, instead of wandering the college, secluded from other students who already know each other. 

That first night out with your new course mates is a cool experience. A sense of realisation is enthused as these guys will be with you for the next few years, time to make the most of it. You get to know one another with the help of alcohol and reveal things that ought to be kept secret. That results in the next morning in college being bloody awkward. But overall it's a great occasion where you become closer to friends and make new ones. 

Mass of sighs. The moment the lecturer informs the class that each of them will be presenting a project to the group. Some students excel when it comes to public speaking whereas others loathe the experience. Standing there for everyone to see, trying to read out whatever uninspiring material Google has provided without messing up. That's one of those frequent times in college where you cannot disguise behind an essay. 

First year of college passes incredibly fast. Therefore, before you know it the preliminary phase of your friendships has dissipated and taking the piss out of one another becomes the new form of communication. Well for lads anyway. Any opportunity we get to humiliate a mate is seized upon. Girls are more likely to celebrate their friendships with kind words and hugs. 

There is always that one module where the course collectively agrees that it's pointless. Seriously, why do we have to f-ing to this crap. My advice: attend just enough of these lectures to pass reasonably comfortably and then forget it ever existed. 

Abruptly it's exam time. "I'm definitely going to fail" is an expression you will hear repeatedly. For some they are speaking the truth and never attending college does catch up. But a lot who say it, pass comfortably. Gasp. There is always a couple of dark horses who you didn't notice during the year but when you hear of their quality results, you realise they must have been working their ass off whilst you and your mates were in the pub in the afternoon. 

Spending time with your new friends is the best college experience in first year. Being young and making mistakes is a part of life. So, cherish being a college student because soon you will be working crazy hours and regretting the things you didn't do during your youth.