The first few weeks of College can feel like a bit of a whirlwind. At first, everything is new. Your timetable, your classrooms, your teachers, the people around you and even your journey to College.
But slowly, things start to become more familiar. You start recognising faces. You know where you’re going. Your timetable starts making sense, and eventually, College starts to feel less like somewhere new and more like somewhere you belong.
If you’re still settling in, here are a few things to remember:
- You don’t need to understand everything straight away - College is about learning. That means you’re going to come across things you don’t understand. You might sit in a lesson and think, “Everyone else gets this except me.” Chances are, someone else is thinking the same thing. Don’t be afraid to ask your tutor to explain something again. You aren’t expected to know everything before you’ve been taught it. Asking questions is part of learning.
- Your routine will start to feel normal - at the beginning, you might constantly be checking your timetable. It can feel like there’s a lot to remember. But eventually, your routine will become just that, a routine. You’ll know where you need to be. You’ll know how long it takes to get there. You’ll probably stop needing to check your timetable quite so often. It might happen gradually, but one day you’ll realise you’ve got the hang of it.
- You’ll get more confident - confidence doesn’t always appear overnight. Sometimes it comes from doing the same small things again and again. Walking into a classroom you’ve been nervous about, speaking to someone new, asking a question in a lesson, finding your way around campus, or getting involved in something outside your course. Every time you do something that felt difficult at first, you’re building your confidence. So don’t worry if you don’t feel confident straight away. You’re still getting there.
- It’s ok to ask for help - one of the most important things to remember about College life is that you don’t have to figure everything out by yourself. If you’re struggling with your course, worried about something, finding it difficult to settle in or simply don’t know who to speak to, ask. Asking for support isn’t a sign that you’re struggling to cope. Sometimes, it’s simply the quickest way to make something feel easier.
- Eventually, it will feel like normal life - there will probably be a point where you suddenly realise how much has changed. You’re no longer checking your timetable every five minutes. You know where you’re going. You recognise people around College. You know where to grab lunch. You walk into your classroom without thinking twice, and you probably won’t even remember exactly when it happened.
That’s the thing about settling into College. It doesn’t always happen all at once.
It happens in little moments, until one day you realise that something which once felt completely new now feels normal. So, if you’re still finding your feet, give yourself time.
You don’t need to have everything figured out. You need to keep taking the next step. You’ve got this.
Read part 1: Things you might be feeling in your first few weeks at College.
