“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”
Arguably one of the most famous openings ever written, this line, in a sense, characterises what many of you will feel as you enter the opening chapter of your college life. Entering university as a fresher will likely be one of the most daunting experiences of your life. As dramatic as it may sound, there are few experiences quite like it. You’ve just completed a marathon of final exams – unless you opted for predicted grades! – but the finish line is unfamiliar, nerve-wracking and likely to defy many of your expectations.
The truth is that most of you will walk under Front Arch not knowing what to expect. You will go in likely knowing nobody, barely familiar with the subject you are studying and feeling as nervous as the person next to you. There is something immensely daunting about that experience. However, there is also something exceptionally exciting about it.
For the first few weeks, you will probably oscillate between these two feelings as you try to put yourself out there, make friends, stand out, fit in or do whatever you came to university to do. Like me, many of you won’t really be sure what exactly you came to university to do and wonder what kind of messed up points system landed you in a course you know nothing about, in a place you have never been, with a group of people who you have convinced yourself must know more than you because you really have no clue what is going on.
One thing that takes some time to realise is that virtually nobody goes into college with everything figured out. However, losing the perfectionism that likely got you your place in Trinity is the first thing to do when you walk in the door. Trinity is far from perfect. While many of you will end up loving your time in College, the first few weeks will likely be spent battling Academic Registry, throwing dirty looks at the person who stole your library seat and thinking that you probably did actually pick the wrong course. You see, in college, you are likely to experience some of your highest highs but you may also face some of your lowest lows.
Some experiences don’t exactly conform to the glamorous image of college that many of us go in with. However, the reality is that college life does not just consist of making lifelong friends with whom you party every night while simultaneously coming in top of your class. This freshers’ supplement is about demonstrating that Trinity is not just a college but a community. It is a community within which there is so much opportunity and so much potential but also so many places you can turn to for support and advice.
The alumni I spoke to for our Dear Fresher Me about their time in Trinity seemed to think back fondly on their college years (touché if you are thinking they wouldn’t have taken the interview if they couldn’t!). Nevertheless, older and wiser, their advice holds far more weight than my own. A consistent theme that ran through each of our discussions was the fact that in college, for the first time, the choice is yours.
For most of us, this is the first opportunity we have had to express ourselves in ways we wouldn’t have dared to before and to experience what is likely the most freedom we have ever and probably will ever have.
Of course, being free is by no means synonymous with being carefree. Virtually everyone will be entering with some weight on their shoulders. You might be worried about friends or finances or anything in between.
College challenges most people. It is a difficult time but it is also a time of immense opportunity. While this guide tries to show you just how many doors have suddenly opened, it lacks guidance on many of the challenges you will encounter throughout your time here. That is not to say that there is doom and gloom down the line but rather to acknowledge that figuring out Trinity’s jargon may not be the most pressing thing on your mind.
Nevertheless, I hope that the articles that feature throughout do make your time here that little bit easier and help you to find your feet. For the first few weeks almost everyone feels lost and disoriented but next thing you know you have purchased that tote bag and those docs and you’re suddenly part of a community that once felt so alien.
After feeling as though time has been taken from us over the past year, I am sure many of you are entering with the desire to make the most of the next few years. Throughout this supplement, I hope you get a glimpse into just how much your college years and your time in Trinity have to offer. Many of you will likely be told that these are the best years of your life and you may even feel pressured to ensure they are. However, let that idea not become a source of stress. Rather, let it be a reminder that these next few years in Trinity are what you make of them.
