• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

College Magazine

College Life, Dating, Career & Campus Advice

  • Colleges
    • College Guides
    • College Rankings
    • Campus Life
      • Academics
      • Dating
      • Freshman Year
      • Health
      • Social Change
      • Party
  • Majors
    • All Majors
    • Most Popular Majors
    • Choosing a Major
  • Intern
    • Internship Directory
    • How to Get an Internship
    • How to Write a Resume
    • How to Write a Cover Letter
    • How to Interview
    • How to Network
    • Career 101
    • Find Your Passion Career
  • Money
    • How to Make Money
    • How to Save Money
    • How to Get a Job
    • Credit Cards 101
    • FAFSA
    • Ramen Project
  • Travel
    • Study Abroad
    • College Spring Break
    • How to Travel Cheap
    • Things to Do
  • Shop
    • Writer Course
    • College Magazine Shop
    • Gift Guides
    • College Packing List
  • Find your college or university
  • Colleges
    • College Guides
    • College Rankings
    • Campus Life
      • Academics
      • Dating
      • Freshman Year
      • Health
      • Social Change
      • Party
  • Majors
    • All Majors
    • Most Popular Majors
    • Choosing a Major
  • Intern
    • Internship Directory
    • How to Get an Internship
    • How to Write a Resume
    • How to Write a Cover Letter
    • How to Interview
    • How to Network
    • Career 101
    • Find Your Passion Career
  • Money
    • How to Make Money
    • How to Save Money
    • How to Get a Job
    • Credit Cards 101
    • FAFSA
    • Ramen Project
  • Travel
    • Study Abroad
    • College Spring Break
    • How to Travel Cheap
    • Things to Do
  • Shop
    • Writer Course
    • College Magazine Shop
    • Gift Guides
    • College Packing List
  • Find your college or university
  • About Us
  • Team
  • Write
  • Apply
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sign Up
  • Advertise
  • My Account
  • Cart

You are here: Home / Life / Freshmen / Culture Shock: From Catholic School to Public College

Culture Shock: From Catholic School to Public College

February 28, 2017 //  by Carly Sampson

Shares102FacebookTweet

My senior year of high school, my classmates got through the last few arduous months of school repeating the mantra: “We’re almost done.” They looked at college like the light at the end of the long, winding, catholic-private tunnel that we attended for the last four years. We had countdown calendars for graduation on every whiteboard and our faculty had nearly given up on enforcing the dress code. Joy and relief filled the air as acceptance letters rolled in.

I only felt anxiety at the thought of the culture shock to come my way. 

Unlike my peers, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to let go of the small, private environment that I had taken advantage of for the past 12 years. I knew the names of every person in my class of 50 and saw them grow out of their awkward middle school phases.  So, I applied mostly to small, private, out-of-state colleges where I would feel most comfortable. The University of Florida stood out of my compact, expensive wish list as the only public college. I only applied to UF to be eligible for certain scholarships.

I had never been exposed to a class size bigger than 20. The idea of 50,000 strangers roaming the sidewalks of one campus baffled me. Through a series of events (unfortunate or otherwise), this public university became my most viable option. After committing to UF (and then whining through two month grieving process), I came to terms with my fate of feeling the culture shock of attending a school bigger than I’d ever known. I began the wait until June, when I would leave home and trade summer on the beach for air-conditioned classrooms in Florida’s very own swamp. (Yes, I had to start in the summer. Insult to injury? I think yes.)

Summer crawled along more slowly than I ever could have imagined. Even though there are always was fewer students on campus during the summer, I still had my fair share of issues adjusting to campus life. My light course-load and (unfortunate) lack of friends gave me a lot of free time, and since I had never “gone out” on a weekend before, I spent many evenings in my dorm watching the world outside my window. Time seemed to stop every time I set foot into my dorm, and I wasted away the hours devouring shows on Netflix and stalking my friends on Twitter.

After a few weeks, the isolation took its toll. Very little contact with anyone for such a long time made me lose confidence in myself, so I went home in search of familiar faces. Unfortunately, I’d only been bombarded by questions from friends and family that embarrassed me to answer. “How many new friends do you have? Are your classes interesting? How many parties have you gone to?” I would just giggle and tiptoe around giving an actual answer to hide how miserable I felt.

After summer ended, I took the two weeks before the fall semester started to think of ways to make friends and spend less time moping around in my dorm. On my first day of fall semester, I walked to the student union. I saw an ocean of people, more faces than I’ve ever seen at once before, all moving to different destinations. Each person went on with a life that I’ll more than likely never know anything about. I stopped in my tracks and stared into the sea of bodies, wondering what to do. I dove in and I discovered the true meaning of the term “student body.” I swallowed the nervousness I felt and began looking for clubs or organizations I was interested in. If something caught my eye, I would look into it. I probably walked up to more than a hundred tables in that first week.

Slowly, I’ve been learning from that first unbearable plunge into the culture shock of college life. Sure, adjusting from knowing every person in your class personally to knowing no one has its hardships, but desperation drives even the most reluctant of us to make new friends.

As for me, I know I have a long way to go before I’ll feel completely comfortable in this huge, public college, but I love watching myself grow with every passing day. I’ve discovered that imperfection makes everyone’s experience unique. Everyone has to struggle at some point.

…At least you’ll have something to laugh about later, right?

Shares102FacebookTweet

Filed Under: Freshmen University of Florida

About Carly Sampson

Florida native and freshman at the University of Florida. English major and lover of all things Beatnik and Jimmy Buffett.

You May Also Like

Hold on! Being Waitlisted Is Not the End of Your Dreams

group

From Introvert to President: How to Rise with Your Eyes on the Prize

The College Pitfalls of Not Asking Questions

Islamic School to Catholic School: A Mile Away, But Worlds Apart

Halloween Isn’t the Only Time for Ghosting Anymore

And Suddenly, I Found Myself Living With a Stranger

Unapologetically Christian: Standing Up for My Faith in the Classroom

Not What I Thought: UCLA First-Year Reflections of Fall Quarter

friends posing together

The First Week Friend Group and My Journey to Forever Friends

Away from Home and Feeling Gross: Being Sick My Freshman Year

two women smiling and laughing

Goodbye, Awkward Small Talk: 10 Ways to Get to Know Your Roommate

Do More To Get More: My Philanthropy Journey at Penn State

A Journey to Home Through a College Acceptance

Why I Love Being The Little Fish In The Big Pond

graduate

To Decide or Not to Decide: The Paradox of Choice in College Decisions

TV to Teacher: When My Life Plans Took a Different Direction

The Worst Dorm Room Gave Me My Best Memories

introvert

Introverts Don’t Need A Cure, But We Need Confidence

teens sitting together laughing and studying

15 Surprising Benefits of Attending Community College

double life

Living a Double Life: Life as a First-Generation Student

My Most Important College Experience Was No College Experience

Not Everyone Tasted A Bar of Soap Growing Up and That’s Okay

No, Mom, I am NOT Going to UF

young men at the beach

10 Rites of Passage for Your Freshman Year at USD

Previous Post: «The associate dean of men walking past Kretschmar Hall toward the University Church at Walla Walla University CM’s Guide to Walla Walla University
Next Post: The 10 Best Bars in D.C. That Turn the City Into a Party »

Primary Sidebar



Trending Posts

70

Top 10 Weird Scholarships You Can’t Miss

67

10 St. John’s University Finals Activities to Help You De-Stress

60

24 Ways My 2020 Survival Guide Turned into 2021 Lifestyle Habits

55

The Ultimate Auburn University Bucket List: 21 Things to Do Before Graduating

mental health
36

Pandemic and Academic Blues: Being Aware of Your Mental Health

Featured Chapter: St. John’s University

Footer

logo

College Magazine is the national daily guide to campus life. Our articles for college students feature university rankings of U.S. colleges, college guides, academic advice, college prep, career advice, student health and collegiate dating tips.

Written by students for students, by a team of journalists from universities nationwide, we’re on the pulse of the college experience.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Colleges

  • College Guides
  • College Rankings
  • Campus life
  • Academics
  • Dating
  • Freshmen Year
  • Health
  • Party

Majors

  • All College Majors
  • Most Popular Majors
  • Choosing a Major

Intern

  • Internships Directory
  • How to Write a Resume
  • How to Write a Cover Letter
  • How to Interview
  • How to Get an Internship
  • How to Network

Money

  • How to Make Money
  • How to Save Money
  • How to Get a Job
  • Credit Cards 101
  • College Loans

Travel

  • Study Abroad
  • College Spring Break
  • How to Travel Cheap
  • Things to Do

Shop

  • College Packing List
  • Gift Guides
  • About Us
  • Team
  • Write
  • Apply
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sign Up
  • Advertise
  • My Account
  • Cart

Copyright © 2021 College Magazine · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc.