10 Questions All College Freshmen Would Like To Have Answered ASAP, Answered By A College Sophomore
Start writing a post
Student Life

10 Questions All College Freshmen Would Like To Have Answered ASAP, Answered By A College Sophomore

10 questions an incoming freshman has, answered by a sophomore based on her experience.

123
10 Questions All College Freshmen Would Like To Have Answered ASAP, Answered By A College Sophomore
Deal News

When it comes to giving advice about college, it seems like the whole world has something to say when it comes to the admissions process: “How about this school?”, “Why are you applying there?”, “Have you considered doing x, y, or z?”, “Oh I know someone who went there.” For most high school seniors, this bombardment of unsolicited advice is overwhelming and hard to sort through so that they can make their own decisions on where they want to spend the next four years of their life and often the first four years they have lived away from home.

However, once a choice has been made and these high school seniors graduate and become incoming college freshman, it seems like there isn’t enough advice in the world for this daunting life transition. Often too, the advice that is given is surface level with perhaps the idea of letting everyone find their own way and make their own college experience.

What people fail to remember is that freshman year of college is totally unchartered territory and it would be useful to have some upfront, honest, and transparent, college advice. I am open about how my first year was not all rainbows and unicorns. So now with some perspective on my first year, here are my responses to the questions posed in the recent article by Curry College Student, Michelle Ricci, titled: “10 Questions All College Freshmen Would Like To Have Answered ASAP:”

What do I do with all this freedom?

While for the first couple of weeks, maybe even the first month or so, it may seem like you have so much freedom, savor it while that feeling lasts. While it’s true you now have a lot more independence than you most likely did at home, you’re not free from responsibilities. Soon you’ll have a planner filled up with assignments, meetings with organizations at all hours of the day, events you’ll want to go to, and potentially a job. Once these balls start to be tossed at you and you find yourself trying to juggle them all, you’ll begin to wonder where your “freedom” went.

How does making friends work here?

It probably varies across all college campuses, especially on mine since we don’t have a dining hall, the fabled place where college friendships are made. For me, the two of the closest friends I made came through having class with them. But the good news is that everyone will be searching for friends, whether it looks like it or not. Be bold and make a move, ask someone from your floor, or a class, or a student organization to get a meal with you. When I took this chance I often found that the person was also looking for more friends and appreciated the gesture.

Are the people here just as dramatic as they were in high school?

I am answering this question from a skewed perspective as my friends from high school and I will be the first to admit that by some miracle, we had no drama amongst the five of us at all. This being said, when I got to college and I found myself wrapped up in drama for the first time, I immediately found myself craving the luxury of my friends from home. What you should do though is be willing to move on from the people who you come across who cause drama. Life is too short to have to deal with those types of people, and from my experience, the drama inducing types are not the ones you want to be friends with.

What are some campus traditions?

In all honesty, I wish we had more of them on my campus. We have Fall Fest and Spring Fling which are outdoor music events at the beginning and end of the year. Since we do not have a football team and our school does not put much effort into getting students hyped up for basketball games, we lack some of the typical school traditions that come with sports teams. My favorite event on campus would be Midnight Breakfast which happens during finals in the fall and while it doesn’t take place at midnight, there is lots of free food and fun activities which provides a nice break from studying.

How many times will you embarrass yourself within the first week?

It will happen, and it happens to the best of us but you just have to shake the embarrassment off. I remember trying to be friendly with the people around me in the first days of classes and I just assumed they were freshmen, but they were juniors. I now know that the best way to get to know someone or at least what year they might be is to ask them where they are living on campus. Hopefully, you’ll know the names of all the residence halls where first-year students live, so if an unfamiliar name is given you can ask them what year they are.

The other good news is that you will not be the only one embarrassing yourself. It takes everyone from the freshman to the seniors a few days to get acquainted with campus again so chances are if you see someone embarrass themselves, they may not be a freshman. So if you do, do something that makes you turn red, just keep going with your head held high and move on with confidence.

How long before my roommate gets tired of me?

I would hope that this does not happen! While not everyone is going to be best friends with their roommates hopefully you can coexist with one another where you know each other's habits and understand their quirks. Get started on the right foot and make a roommate agreement. Do not just quickly breeze through it; hash things out, be open and honest about what gets on your nerves, what you like the temperature of the room to be, quiet hours, time to have the room to yourself. If you establish open lines of communication and expectations from the very beginning, I would have my fingers crossed that neither of you will get tired of each other.

Is the Freshman 15 real?

I wouldn’t list it as 15 but you will probably gain some weight your first year. I know I did. One of the many freedoms that comes with college is picking your own meals and snacks to have in your room. For me, I enjoyed browsing the aisles of the grocery store and picking out things my mom would not, however, the real kicker for me was not having a kitchen, which most first year students do not have.

Eating out for most your meals makes portion control hard and just generally the things you will be eating have more calories than what you would typically consume. If you have access to a kitchen, take advantage of it, or if not, find ways to entice yourself to go to the gym more, or find ways to get the most bang for your buck and waist line, by making one serving last long enough for two meals.

How long before you call your mom?

It might be a matter of hours, or days, or for some people weeks. In the end though, we need our moms and our moms need us. The more you call your mom or at least send her a text, the less she will be pestering you because she knows you are doing well. Plus, you need to make sure your mom (and dad) are doing okay without you. So if it’s the end of a long day, or you just see something that reminds you of her, tell your mom about it and once you have a chat with her, your day will be so much brighter.

Do the people here really care about what I have to say?

The people who are meant to be your friends will care about what you have to say. Your professors also want to hear what you have to say. So yes, it may not be everyone, but you will find people who appreciate what you contribute to discussions and your view points on things. One of the best parts of college is that it brings together a wide range of people who come from different backgrounds and have had different experiences, so you will value what they have to say and they will also value what you have to say.

How will I stay confident and remain determined with so much going on?

There will be lots of things to distract you, new things to discover and try, groups to get involved in, classes to take, but you need to stay true to yourself. If you choose to try the new things that align with your core interests and personal values then you will be able to remain confident and determined to achieve your own goals.

I worried a lot my first year about what people would think of me and the choices I made. I was afraid of being judged harshly by others and also afraid of becoming someone I am not. It took a while but I came to peace with the understanding that not everyone is going to like me, there will be people who judge my decisions, but those people are the ones who are not your friends. Do not waste your time and mental energy trying to prove to others you are something that you are not. You will benefit the most in the long run from doing what makes you happy and as you find those things, people who care about you will come too.

These are my words of wisdom to the incoming and newly minted freshman in the class of 2021. Enjoy yourselves, ask questions, try not to worry, follow your own passions and remember to call your parents.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

57669
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

37170
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

958881
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

191721
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments