Out of the many lessons that I have learned over the first semester in college, these were the lessons that I found most worthy of sharing.
1. You won't have time to call your mom every day.
Finding the time to call everyday may be a little difficult and it may become easy to forget to make those phone calls home. Try to schedule a time once or twice a week to call or text her once each day.
2. You will barely talk to the people that you were best friends with in high school.
In college, friendship is more defined by emotional connections to people than constant contact. Some friends from high school you may never see again, and some you may talk to everyday. Try to find a healthy balance between college and high school friends.
3. The amount of effort you put into school is not always defined by your GPA.
Studying for hours the night befell a test can be difficult, still not doing well is even worse. Try studying in moderation and remember that it's okay to not do well for every single test.
4. No matter how much time it takes, you will make friends on campus.
As long as you can be yourself, you're bound to find some friends that are just like you. College is a diverse place with many different people.
5. Getting involved on campus will decrease the amount of time it takes to make those friends.
Becoming part of clubs or teams make it easier to find people with common interests as you. Try to join clubs or sports that fit your interests, but some clubs look great on a resume!
6. Take advantage of all of the freebies on campus.
Whether it is free food, a keychain, or anything in between, take advantage of the free things that you find throughout the semester. You can go with friends to make it more fun!
7. You don't need to love all of your classes.
In college, you may need to take core classes that you wish you didn't. As long as you still enjoy the classes related to your major, it's okay to dread that walk to core classes.
8. It's never a good idea to procrastinate.
Just because it looks like you will have more free time in college does not mean that you will. Take advantage of the time between classes to get work done. Deadlines are closer than they appear!
9. More people have not decided their majors than you make think.
College is full of people that are still identifying themselves and some people are not ready to fully commit to a major yet. If you don't know what your major is, there are many people in the same boat as you.
10. Changing your mind is completely okay.
Whether it is your major, your school, or simply a club you no longer wish to be a part of, it is perfectly okay to change your mind. College is a time for experimenting and figuring out who you really are.
11. Be yourself, no matter what.
As time goes on, it may be hard to lose sense of yourself. As long as you stay true to yourself, everything should fall into place.
