College is all about learning new things.

A lot of students arrive at college with the expectation that they need to learn an abundance of new things: how to cook, clean, pay bills, do laundry, etc. This can be super overwhelming all at once. On top of navigating a whole new campus and workload, we have to magically grow up and be completely on our own. Culture shock hits everyone like a bus.

However, that is what college is about. It’s for learning how to do these “adult” things. And it’s OK if you come here not knowing how to do it all right away, or even not for a few more years.

Growing up as the youngest child still at home, my parents always did my laundry and most of the housework. They even did most of the cooking and grocery shopping, too. I wouldn’t be caught dead anywhere near the stove or the laundry room. Needless to say, moving to college was pretty scary for me.

During the summer before I went off to college, my parents attempted to teach me some things. They took me on trips to the laundromat so I could experience and learn the machines on my own. I still found myself messing up my first few loads of laundry at college. I remember always waiting until one of my roommates needed to do laundry too, so that I could tag along and have someone there to help me. I felt extremely lost for a while and codependent on everyone else. I still do, even two years later. And I have learned that it is just a part of college that should be embraced. 

A lot of people come to college and completely panic because they start to struggle with navigating basic chores and being on their own. And, a lot of people tear each other down for not knowing how to do things completely independently. Everyone was raised differently, and we must keep that in mind. College is for making mistakes and learning from them. It is also for learning how to do things together.

I can’t tell you how many times my friends and I have stood in the grocery aisles together completely lost on what to buy, or how many times we have sat in a kitchen and tried to cook something together. It is scary and overwhelming, but we are all in the same boat together. It’s something to laugh about and bond over.

Even as a junior living in my own apartment now, I still struggle immensely with learning to “adult.” I still cannot cook a proper meal all on my own that isn’t just pasta or pizza. I had to call a friend up to put air in my tire because I had no idea how. And I still call my mom to make sure I am boiling the pasta right sometimes. 

If you see a college student struggling with something, offer to help instead of ridiculing them. Students are already experiencing enough stress with such a big transition and being far from home. Helping someone out can go a long way and remind them that they are not alone.