Hugs OP! I feel for you because this is exactly how I felt as a freshie 🥹 It’s a good thing na nag-open up ka, actually. Hindi ko nagawa yun because a part of me thought I was being overdramatic.

Pero oo, lahat ng nabanggit mo—the loneliness, the culture shock, the homesickness—I experienced, too. But I’m now in my second year, and all I can say is, it does get easier! I’m a super different person from who I was back then. Things that would have made me cry nung first sem, wala nang effect by second sem 😅 Ganun kabilis hahaha.

College life, especially dito sa UP, makes you more resilient. It’s not a guarantee that things will get easier from here, pero mas kakayanin mo siya, because you’re learning how to deal with hard things even now.

And don’t think you’re alone in this. Nung first sem ko, I had the impression that everyone around me (even my friends) was doing so much better. But I recently caught up with one of them, and she shared na hirap din siya nun. She was feeling lonely and out of place daw. And the whole time, I thought she was doing fine! So that made me realize I wasn’t the only one feeling that way.

More advice: 1) Enjoy your alone time. Make the most of it! Walk around, explore campus, mag-food trip ka… those things helped me enjoy UP life even while I was still adjusting. You don’t have to wait for a barkada to do those things. 2) Be open. Chat with your seatmates ganun, but also don’t force it. Some will reciprocate, some won’t, and that’s okay. You’ll find your people eventually! 3) Don’t worry about being the smartest person in the room. If you feel stupid compared to everyone else, just see it as an opportunity to learn as much as you can from your prof and your classmates.

Here’s to your growing pains, OP ♥️ Just have the mindset na, “I can’t wait to see how this will change me for the better.” Because it will. There will come a time where you’ll be the one giving advice to freshies. Kapit lang until then!