{"id":16615,"date":"2026-01-20T16:09:24","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T00:09:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogschapman.wpenginepowered.com\/wilkinson\/2026\/01\/20\/from-our-eyes-prepared-but-not-ready-experiencing-college-for-the-first-time\/"},"modified":"2026-07-21T20:20:58","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T20:20:58","slug":"from-our-eyes-prepared-but-not-ready-experiencing-college-for-the-first-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/wilkinson\/2026\/01\/20\/from-our-eyes-prepared-but-not-ready-experiencing-college-for-the-first-time\/","title":{"rendered":"From Our Eyes: Prepared, But Not Ready"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Violet Gude (\u201929 Broadcast Journalism & Documentary) attending an orientation event.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In this edition of <\/em>From Our Eyes, Violet Gude (\u201929 Broadcast Journalism & Documentary) explores the gap between expectation and reality. Like many incoming students, she spent months consuming college content online, hoping to feel prepared before move-in day. Yet nothing could fully prepare her for the chaos, excitement, and uncertainty of her first year of college.<\/em><\/p>\n

Before even setting foot on campus, I watched hundreds of \u201cEverything You Need to Know About College\u201d videos on YouTube and a thousand \u201cA Day in My Life at Chapman University\u201d vlogs, hoping that if I watched enough of others\u2019 experiences, I\u2019d arrive fully prepared for my own. But once I arrived, I quickly realized that no matter how many checklists you study, nothing captures the feeling of stepping into the craziness of college life for the first time.<\/p>\n

You can pack the necessities\u2013 class supplies, your chargers, and definitely get that air purifier for your dorm\u2013 but mentally, as you enter such a crazy and bubbling new chapter of your life, be ready to expect the unexpected and saddle up for some harsh reality checks. College\u2019s unpredictability is overwhelming and exciting all at once, but the only way to navigate it is by diving right in. So instead of your typical checklist of dorm essentials, I\u2019m sharing the list that I wish I had when taking on my first semester. What I thought I needed \u2026 and what actually mattered.<\/em><\/p>\n

What I Packed: A Plan to Become a Completely New Person
\n<\/b>What I Actually Needed: Permission to Be Myself<\/b><\/h3>\n

Going in, I had crafted the perfect vision of the confident, cooler, and more aesthetic me that I would be in college, but the truth is, no matter how new the environment is, you can\u2019t become someone else overnight. In a terrifying yet also comforting way, I have found that even when immersed in new places with new people, I am still my same self. That shouldn\u2019t discourage you, though it should comfort you\u2013 it gives you stability in the sea of change that, even if you wished for, can still be daunting. Of course, change still happens, but the best changes are the ones that come naturally, not the ones that you try to force in an effort to reinvent yourself.<\/p>\n

What I Packed: A Rigid Plan and Schedule
\n<\/b>What I Actually Needed: Curiosity and Willingness to Explore<\/b><\/h3>\n

College campuses have whole worlds inside of them, but you can miss a lot if you don\u2019t make the effort to explore a little. Find a silly niche club, venture into the building you\u2019ve never set foot in, try every lounge area until you find your perfect spot (mine became the top floor of the library balcony overlooking the campus with a great view of the mountains that spending even 5 minutes of my day at could make me feel better.) I found great value in venturing beyond my immediate surroundings. Even as a student in Dodge, I found amazing faculty and staff in Wilkinson College who were excited to help me accomplish my goals, and peer advisors who happily helped me plan my schedule and explore possible minors. Your campus is way bigger than just your major or school, so go explore more corners of it!<\/p>\n

What I Packed: The pressure to \u201cFind My People\u201d Immediately
\n<\/b>What I Actually Needed: Patience and an Open Mind<\/b><\/h3>\n

This took me some time to accept. You meet an eclectic mix of people in your first semester of college, and it is both exciting and exhausting. You\u2019ll find that not everyone is your cup of tea, sometimes you aren\u2019t theirs, and sometimes, for whatever reason, some friendships fade. In my first semester, I met people who worked better as classroom acquaintances, but I also met people I hope to carry with me for years to come. Not everything is meant to be, but real connections take time, and if you let them, they will come to you.<\/p>\n

What I Packed: A Hyper-Focused Idea of \u201cSuccess\u201d Paired With A Go-Go-Go Mentality
\n<\/b>What I Actually Needed: Space to Slow Down and Take In Quiet Moments Amid the Noise<\/b><\/h3>\n

The hectic time that is your first semester of college is bound to have its low moments, but especially if you\u2019re lucky enough to go to a school as beautiful as Chapman\u2013 take a walk with your earbuds in and admire the view of the sun poking through the palm trees. Call a family member or that friend you haven\u2019t spoken to in a while.<\/p>\n

In all of its ups and downs, college is temporary \u2014 a weird in-between space, a waiting room for adulthood \u2014 and that\u2019s exactly why you should romanticize it. Where else will you bond with roommates over mold growth or get chaotic campus updates from an anonymous app everyone is obsessed with?<\/p>\n

Find joy in the little things. Laugh at the absurdity. Let yourself enjoy the ride while it lasts.<\/p>\n

(Graphic header designed by Violet Gude (\u201929 Broadcast Journalism & Documentary))<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Experiencing College for the First 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