After my first seven weeks in college, I think it's safe to say that I have already started to change as an individual. From my experience, here are the changes a college freshman experiences before fall midterms:
A solidification of ideas and morals:
Where you stand on things like underaged drinking, sex, manners, and what is "right"or "wrong" will go through a metamorphosis. You realize that somethings you thought were okay really aren't and visa versa. Can also apply to politics, but most freshmen don't care yet.
Religious beliefs:
Christian? Muslim? LDS? Atheist? Buddhist? Islam? Animalism? Polytheism?
Whatever religion you previously affiliated with will either become start to have a stronger part in your life or disappear almost completely. Most freshmen would rather sleep in on a Sunday.
Use of independence:
Freshmen very quickly find out how much independence they can handle. Sometimes, the ability to party every night and skip every 8 a.m. gets to be too much. Especially when the first exam is a fail. They also learn about setting up a schedule, time-management, budgeting and studying.
Family values:
Homesickness will set in, or at least friendsickness. Freshmen learn that maybe they miss home more than they thought they would, and regret how quickly they said good-bye on move-in day.
Human relations:
Dealing with people who have opposing beliefs, contrasting personalities, and abrasive characters can be difficult. It can be down-right impossible if your roommate is the one with whom your personality clashes. College forces you to deal with people in a civil manner and allows you to become more accepting of differing personalities.
In my seven weeks I have become a more organized person. I have also solidified my beliefs, realized that maybe I need my mother more than I thought, have had to deal with some pretty unruly people, and have found a church that I love to get up in the morning for. For me, a night in the dorms with my girls is more fun than a night in the forest with a bunch of drunkards. I have found time to indulge my love for volunteering through Habitat for Humanity, and I have realized that I really am more of an introvert than an extrovert.
College is great, just don't go into it expecting anything less than for your perspective on life to change completely.