College is supposed to be the best four years of your life, a time to find who you really are. However, there’s a catch: You have to actually get out there and experiment to really find out your likes and dislikes. You have to get out of your comfort zone and truly be open to trying new things to discover another side of yourself.
Maybe a broader social scene is something you need in order to open up to different types of people. Go out to a few parties. Make conversation. Late at night when people are simply living in the moment is one of the best times to make your approach and create conversation. It is a lot less stressful to approach someone at a party than it is just sitting at a table in the dining hall; everyone is there looking for a good night. The worst thing that could happen is that you don’t hit it off and then you make conversation with the next person you meet — not a horrendous situation by any means.
Explore Williamsburg. We’re in one of the most historic places in our country, so go find what’s out there. Colonial Williamsburg has plenty of open doors for you to walk through. All it takes is a day pass, which is free to students. You might just surprise yourself and learn something that strikes a new interest in you. If the history side of town doesn’t seem of interest to you, even though you should still give it a try, there’s always the transportation system to take you other places. Go see what else the city has to offer: Go explore the shops of New Town or grab a bite to eat at one of the numerous pancake restaurants on Richmond Road. Make an adventure out of it; you could end up having a great time and finding a new activity to do with friends. Worst comes to worst, you know where not to eat for future reference.
Campus by itself has a constant stream of entertainment — just glance at the bulletin boards walking into the Sadler Center. Aside from the array of events going on around campus, most of which are free and incredibly easy to just pop into, there’s a club for almost everything. It doesn’t hurt to just stop by a meeting and see if it’s of interest to you. If it’s not, just move on to the next intriguing event you hear about.
One way to make sure that you see things from a new perspective is to travel — look into study abroad. Talk to anyone you know who has done it; it’s not something you will end up regretting. Traveling opens you up to a new culture and new ways of life. If anything, take it as a learning experience to see how other countries live. If visiting another country is too much at once, look into the DC programs offered by the school. It’s not very far from Williamsburg but offers an entirely new atmosphere.
Often times, the thing you dread the most will turn out to be the most fun and you’ll find yourself actually enjoying it. College is short; after this you are off to the world of finding a job and working on someone else’s schedule. You have the opportunity to make the most of these four years, so don’t waste them. Just because something seems boring or uninteresting isn’t reason enough to dismiss it. If you think that you haven’t found your place yet or are still looking, keep it up. There are plenty of options out there. The key is being open to whatever it is that crosses your path and not just saying no without a second thought. Sure, class and studying are important, but that’s not all there is to college. Do something you would have never imagined yourself doing. It could turn out to be a lot more than just a wild idea.
Email Annie Sadler at afsadler@email.wm.edu.