Dear Incoming Freshmen,
College is the most wonderful experience. I know that seems foreign after just spending the last four years in high school, but you haven't seen anything yet. After almost completing my first year, I can't help but look back and wish I had received more advice then the usual "college is so much different than high school" speech. Real people need real advice, and that is why I'm writing to you.
1. Listen to the boring lecture on "how college is so much different than high school."
I know you're totally rolling your eyes at me, but trust me when I say this. This could potentially be one of the most important lectures you are going to hear. Nothing is going to snap you into reality faster than having five exams, three quizzes, two projects, and an oral exam all due in one week, so listen carefully and brace yourself.
2. Go to class.
Let me say it again for the people in the back, go to class. I promise you, you can not pull a great grade with only six classes of information, then just show up for the exams after binge studying all night. (I tried it for you already, so take my word.)
3. You're going to make a lot of friends, and a lot of them are not going to stay.
That is okay, and no it is not your fault they left. The first semester of your freshmen year is a time for new experiences. You're going to go into school practically alone, so trying to be friends with everyone is great, but as you all get more comfortable you'll realize who will stick by you and who won't. Find a great group of people, because they will be your life line whether you are near or far from home.4. Experience anything and everything you can at least once.
Go to the grimy frat house, join a club, go on a trip, watch romantic comedies with your best friends until four in the morning while you binge on ice cream. You do what you have to do to be the happiest you can be. Make the most out of life. These are the prime years of your life to try new things and find out who you are. Don't pass it, or the mint chocolate chip ice cream up!
5. Put yourself first.
Your mental and physical health is so important when you are in college. Make sure you eat, sleep, and smile enough. In order to flourish you need to be happy and healthy, and everyone knows that good grades are not as important as a good being.
6. Utilize what the campus has to offer you.
Believe it or not, people do actually want to help you when you ask for it. Whether you need the health clinic, psychologist, career counselor, academic adviser, or even just your professors, ask and you shall receive. Use everything you can to help you succeed!
7. It is okay to call your mom everyday.
Believe it or not, you won't be the only one. Leaving my home was one of the hardest things I ever had to do, and I missed talking to my mom everyday. More often than not I would sit and just gossip with her for a half an hour a day. Then there were also the times when I would just call her because I still couldn't figure out how to do my laundry. "Hey Mom, am I supposed to be washing my jeans with this silk shirt?"
8. Relationships are not the most important thing.
I feel like this is something that everyone needs to appreciate and understand. There are a lot of people who go into college thinking that they need to find a significant other, and they don't. If you find one, enjoy it, but if you don't that is okay.
9. You are in school to invest in yourself and to
invest in your future.
If you remember nothing else, remember this. It is very easy to get wrapped up in other activities while at school, but at the end of the day, you need to do what is best for you, however it is best for you. Do not listen to anyone tell you otherwise.
10. If you need to leave, you can.
No student should feel pressured to stay at the school they are at. If you don't like it, you can transfer. Don't feel pressured into staying. I transferred out of a state school after my first semester, because it just wasn't for me, and it was the best thing I could do for myself. Do what is going to make you happiest.
So my friends, I will leave you with these parting words. Be confident in your abilities, and be strong in the face of aversion. This will be the beginning of a great journey for you, and believe me it will be one of the most memorable too.
Best of Luck,
A Departing Freshman
