While most new students were hauling suitcases into dorms and snapping photos under The Arch, I spent my first day at Northwestern in the basement of Norris, waiting in line for a Wildcard that never made it to my mailbox.

It wasn’t the flashy beginning to a new chapter of life I expected. The lines were long, the move-in rushed and, by the end of that day, only my bedding was unpacked. But three years later, I’ve come to realize that my first impression of college might not have been so far off.

Because the truth is most of college isn’t particularly exciting — and that’s okay.

Yes, there are moments that feel straight out of Hollywood: dancing the night away in downtown Chicago with new friends, looking out at Lake Michigan for the first time from the Segal Visitors Center roof, marching through The Arch with hordes of people you just met.

These are the moments you’ll post about. The ones you’ll describe during phone calls home. The highlight reel. But they’re only one part of the story.

The majority of college is a collection of neutral experiences like going to class on a gray Tuesday afternoon, eating thinly sliced pork from Allison Dining Hall for the third time that week and camping out in Periodicals at Main Library to grind out homework for that computer science class you can’t believe you signed up for.

You’ll find that these moments far outnumber the Instagram-worthy ones, but will lack the same spotlight. And if the neutral moments don’t make the cut, the bad ones don’t stand a chance.

Because while college can be thrilling, it can also be overwhelming, suffocating and, at times, really lonely.

No one warns you about the ache you’ll feel when you miss your family and hometown friends. Social media doesn’t prepare you for the nauseating sting of seeing new friends make plans without you. Not doing as well in a class as you expected, getting rejected from a club or seeing others’ accomplishments touted on LinkedIn can shake your confidence and stir up feelings of imposter syndrome you didn’t even know you had.

I began my time at NU on the pre-medicine track, but quickly realized it wasn’t the right fit. I’ve always been a planner — but suddenly, the path ahead was blurry. For the first time, I wondered if I was meant to be here.

There are times when you might think you’re failing. That you’re not enough. That maybe you made a mistake choosing NU — or worse, that NU made a mistake choosing you.

While those feelings are valid, that doesn’t make them true. 

You deserve to be here just as much as everyone else. Wherever you are in your journey, you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be. And I promise you’ll find your way.

Somehow, I’ve gone from crying in the rain after a chemistry midterm to becoming editor in chief of The Daily Northwestern — a path I never could have predicted three years ago.

I’ve met incredible people here, though it took some time. I’ve studied abroad, though it took some courage to step on that plane. I’ve learned that a “B” isn’t a failure, but growth.

There were times I held myself back out of fear: of mistakes, disappointment, not knowing what comes next. But now, three years older (and perhaps a little wiser), I recognize that regret is a useless feeling. Every decision I’ve made — from the brilliant to the boneheaded — has shaped me.

College is a collection of moments. The euphoric highs and devastating lows will sandwich countless uneventful afternoons that won’t make the scrapbook, but still matter. Try to take them all in stride.

Only you can decide how your next four years will unfold. They’ll be imperfect, unpredictable and absolutely unforgettable if you let them be.

I’ll leave you with a quotation from poet Erin Hanson that I hope to embody as I finish my time at NU. I hope you find it comforting as you begin yours.

“There is freedom waiting for you, On the breezes of the sky, And you ask ‘What if I fall?’ Oh but my darling, What if you fly?”

Don’t wait to take risks. Trust your head, your heart and your gut — in that order — and you’ll do just fine.

Good luck, and Go ’Cats!

David Samson is a Medill senior. He can be contacted at [email protected]. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Letter to the Editor to [email protected]. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.