When I imagined what college would be like, I had my fair share of warnings from concerned friends and family, ranging from advice about watching your drink to horror stories about people taking six months to settle in. Having changed both schools and countries before starting high school, I knew what it was like having a tough time settling in. I knew the terrifying feeling of meeting thousands of new people (some of whom already knew each other), the awkwardness of introducing yourself many, many times and the sudden silences when strangers run out of things to talk about.

Coming here was still completely unlike anything I had imagined. You might meet nice people (as I did). But, as some very wise person once said, “At first, college is about lots of acquaintances and few friends.” It’s easy to get lost in the trap of being unable to develop associations into lasting friendships. It’s also easy to get lost in college and take a long time to settle in. I can see it happening around me. As the Beatles famously said, “I look at all the lonely people.” College can be an isolating experience. That doesn’t mean that you never settle in, it’s just a message to freshmen like myself – put yourself out there! It isn’t too difficult, even if you’re not the partying type.

-Meghana Puri

Weinberg Freshman