Paul T.
If you’re reading this, know that transitioning to a new part of your life is not always easy.
Hey! We are Hanna Driggers and Paul Terell, the Community Director and Graduate Community Director of the Holmes/McCabe community.
Throughout our time in these roles, we’ve experienced our own personal and professional transitions. Transitioning can be intimidating—your schedules, friends, tasks, and goals may all shift. But remember, you’re blooming into something new. We represent four Living-Learning Communities (LLCs): CONNECTIONS, Air Force ROTC, Army ROTC, and Teaching Fellows.
We also mainly house first-year residents who experience so much change. Moving From high school to college, transitioning from living with your immediate family to having a roommate, or going from a small town where everyone knows you to a campus with thousands of new faces can feel overwhelming. Embracing these changes can be difficult, but it’s a natural part of transitioning. Though change can be a frightening experience, the first step to overcoming it is awareness.
Being aware of your new surroundings and what Clemson University offers is key. Clemson can seem like a vast and unknown place, but we can promise you this: many people have found their home here. They’ve discovered their passions, found their community, and engaged with the organization. In doing so. They’ve created opportunities to form friendships and build their “your home away from home.”
After awareness comes acceptance; this is where you start to embrace who you are and where you belong. It’s about understanding yourself, your thoughts, and your feelings. We encourage you to align yourself with the things that resonate with your beliefs and values. Accepting your current situation, surroundings, and feelings at that moment— no matter how challenging—is just another step in your transition.
The transition journey often begins when you least expect it, but be sure to embrace it. You’re not the same person you were when you submitted your college application, attended your first athletic event, or moved to Clemson. Each experience has changed who you are. Along the way, you’ve learned more about your likes and dislikes, what excites you and what doesn’t, and much more.
Ultimately, the process of that change leads to your transition into someone new.
While you may be changing and growing into someone new, don’t be afraid to express this transformation. Transitions can be beautiful, but they depend on how you perceive them. People may judge you based on who you once were but remember, that doesn’t define who you are now.
Paul T., Clemson University
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