It's funny how one piece of paper changes your whole life. As you gracefully walk across and grab your diploma, you are told that you are now an adult.
I graduated in 2007, and I still feel don't feel close to being an adult.
College is where you decide what path you are going to choose for your travels in life. But the funny thing is, most of what you learn is not learned in the classroom.
College is about training you for the real world. This means that you don't necessarily learn everything from professors and textbooks.
There are many life lessons that are taught everyday that most people will probably overlook, lessons about how life doesn't fight fair, but you still have to get back in the ring.
Here you will meet some of the people that you will hold dearest to your heart. While there are thousands upon thousands of people at this school, there are only two or three people that you will become close to and form a long lasting relationship with in the end.
I'm not saying that you should only try to find close friends, because everyone needs some good drinking buddies, but realize what they are and don't try and make them into something they are not.
College is the most amount of freedom with the least amount of responsibility a person will have in their entire life. That is why most people drop out after the first semester or two, because they cannot handle all the freedom that is presented at college.
While it is unfortunate for the people that have to leave, it provides the ones that remain a warning; college is work first, party second.
At first, the work might look insurmountable, but after a while, it becomes a piece of cake. By the end of your sophomore year, a seven-page paper is a single night of work.
But don't let your classes get in the way of the most important part of college: the people.
The most effective way to meet your fellow students is just go knock on people's door the day you move in to the dorms (sorry commuters). I have met a lot of my closest friends by simply knocking on their door and starting a conversation.
While most of it is not advertised, there are hundreds of clubs for people to network using something that they enjoy. This is honestly one of the easiest ways to meet people.
Fellow students are essential for survival at this institution. Without friends, this cold and snowy campus will eat you alive.
After a while, the magic of UB is going to fade away and the flaws become painfully apparent, but until then, it is one of the best places to go to school.
Email: jameson.butler@ubspectrum.com
