Freshman year is filled with major adjustments. It's difficult to leave home, where your parents cook and clean for you, to live on your own. To live without a curfew or parents to hover over you comes with major responsibilities. My freshman year of college was a major learning experience for me, and I'm grateful to all the people who helped me make it through the tough times.
Here are some of the major things I learned throughout my freshman year.
1. How to do laundry
You learn not to take the little things for granted. I ruined more clothes than anyone could possibly imagine. I shrunk brand new clothes because I didn't know that I couldn't dry them. I called my mom 9,000 times to ask what clothes could be washed together, what could go in the dryer without shrinking or burning and how to get stains out. I learned that basically anything that had a stain was ruined, because I couldn't get any stains out by myself.
2. Responsibility is key.
There is no one to tell you that you can't be out until 2 a.m. on a Thursday night and make it to your 8 a.m. class. You need to decide when you're going to study, when you're going to party and when you're going to sleep. If you're not responsible, living on your own is not all it's not all it's pumped up to be.
3. It can happen to you.
Your grades can drop. Don't judge the people who got a 2.5 or a 1.8, because that could've been you. You don't know if they had a family problem, and you don't know if they had a hard time adjusting. It could be you next semester. All the horror stories you hear can become real life nightmares. You realized no one is exempt from anything in the real world, so you learn not to be so ignorant.
4. You actually can wake up 10 minutes before class.
In college, no one cares what you look like. You can roll out of bed, brush your teeth and go to class in pajamas; no one will judge you. If you happen to fall asleep in class, no one will make fun of you; they'll empathize with you because they feel your pain.
5. Not every high school "friend" will remain your friend.
It's OK to lose contact with some people. It's almost impossible to take your whole graduating class on your journey through life. If they don't put in mutual effort, you don't need them.
6. Your true best friends are revealed.
You'll instantly know who you will remain friends with, because you will instantly see them making an effort. You'll call each other, text each other, Snapchat each other and FaceTime each other. Those people you always told everything to, you will continue your friendship with as long as you both put in effort. Long-distance friendships aren't all that hard.
7. It's OK to make new best friends.
You figure out that everyone is in the same boat as you, and most people aren't at school with their high school best friend. Everyone is looking for friends, but some people are hesitant to open up to people. It's amazing how you can become best friends with someone after four months together, but you can; college friendships last a lifetime.
8. You never want to pass on a home-cooked meal again.
After eating dining hall food, you'll want to eat home every night. Next time your mom asks, "Are you eating home tonight?" you'll probably jump on that opportunity, because home cooked meals suddenly seem like five-star restaurants!
9. How to compromise
At home, most people have their own rooms and are used to their own ways. When you're thrown into a room with a total stranger, it's hard to get used to each other and live together. If you're living with someone you know, your friendship is given the ultimate test. Either way, you are forced to give up your privacy and compromise on sleeping habits, study habits and daily routines. Your roommate will become your best friend or your worst enemy.
10. It's OK to ask for help.
If you need a friend to help you with a homework assignment or a topic, it's OK to ask for help. No one will think you're dumb if you go to tutoring or ask someone to help you.
Freshman year is filled with different learning experiences for everyone. You learn life lessons that will stick with you forever, and you learn more about yourself. College is the time when you truly discover who you are and what you want to do with your life.
