The end of my freshman year has finally arrived, and I now realize that everyone was right. A lot can change in a year. As I turn the page to a new chapter of my life, I would like to reflect on the lessons that I have learned over the last nine months. It is so easy to become overwhelmed by college life and all of the stress that comes with it. However, my lowest moments resulted in the most growth. I am proud to say that I have changed throughout this year, and I look forward to the changes that the future holds.
1. You are ready to take on the world, until syllabus week ends.
2. You will probably be late once or twice.
Who am I kidding? You will probably be late every day, especially if you have any classes before 10:00 a.m. Being late if fine unless your professor has a policy see about that.
3. Maintaining a solid GPA is a struggle.
In high school you could talk during the entire class, nap, study for 15 minutes, and make an A. When you try that in college you will make a 72, if you’re lucky. As a result of your underdeveloped study skills you have to work the rest of the semester to redeem yourself from the one bad grade you made two weeks into the semester.
4. Managing money is extremely difficult.
College comes with a lot of expenses. Naturally you want to do things with your friends, which is great! You will make plenty of priceless memories. Unfortunately, sometimes those memories do come with a price tag, so you may want to limit the amount of times you eat out. Spend money on the opportunities that you can’t pass up, and pinch pennies somewhere else. For example, eating Mexican food three times a week adds up, so maybe consider cutting back to once a week.
5. Ignoring your problems does not make them go away.
I have learned that putting off the work that I don’t want to do does not help anything. At the end of the day, it is still going to be there. Yeah, maybe I finished my English paper a week early, but this research paper is due tomorrow . You have to face problems head on, because that is the only way that you are going to overcome them.
6. You will have bad days, and that is okay.
College comes with an adjustment period. Your life changes tremendously when you begin school. It can be overwhelming at times, and that is okay. You may make mistakes or fail an important test, but it is okay. Embrace your sadness. Just don’t stay sad for too long.
7. People will ask you about school, but you never want to talk about it.
Everyone wants to know how you’re doing. It’s great that people are concerned about your well-being, but you do not want to discuss your grades. Ask me about what I ate yesterday instead. I can write a 10 page paper about that.
8. You will have bad professors.
At the end of the semester student evaluations are passed out, which are rarely filled out. Hey, I don’t even fill them out unless I want so give a bad evaluation. Let’s face it, not all professors are nice, organized, and responsive. Take advantage of your chance to let them know how you really feel.
9. Finals week is a strange mixture of relief and anxiety.
Finals week brings so many different emotions. You’re stressed because you have to go back and memorize all of the things that you forgot throughout the semester, you have anxiety because this grade can make you or in can break you, and you’re relieved because finals week means that you’re going to have a chance to relax soon.
10. Finishing all of your finals is the best feeling ever.
Finishing your last final is the most rewarding feeling, even if the semester didn’t go as well as you had planned. Be proud of yourself for finishing out the semester. You did it!
