Your first year of college will be filled with surprises and mostly lessons. There will be things that you would have never expected, and from these experiences you will learn more about yourself. Within a year you’ll become a completely new person. Here are just some of things we’ll all learn.
1. The value of money.
At first we’re quick to spend our money on food, clothes and on Friday nights. Eventually we become aware of our bank account situation and realize we don’t even have enough money to ride the subway.
2. The Freshman 15 is real.
If it’s not 15 then it’s 20. We’ve all been warned about this but it’s hard to not fall into the temptation of late-night snacking, bar hopping, ice cream dates and pizza dinners.
3. Never miss a lecture and never leave class early.
In high school we knew it would be easy to catch up if we missed a week of school. But in college, missing a week isn’t even an option. We think that by missing a lecture we can easily catch up by reading the textbook. But we can’t. Knowing our luck we’ve missed the professor’s notes and that’s exactly what’s going to be on the next quiz.
4. You most likely won’t follow your dreams of going pre-med.
Going into college, many of us have set dreams and standards. For some reason, we come out of high school thinking that the only career path that’s “right” for us is medicine. And 95 percent of us will drop that career path after our first semester. Pre-med isn’t for everybody. Most likely that class we took as a general requirement stole our heart and made us realize our true passions.
5. Balancing your life takes practice.
Between classes, friends, family and experiences, it’s incredibly hard for us to keep track of everything. Eventually, we learn how to manage our lives and sometimes we might have to let something go.
6. You have to take sh*t seriously.
If the professor says, “There might be a quiz tomorrow,” that means there most definitely will be a quiz tomorrow. We can’t brush off matters like these and think that life is just one big joke. You’ll learn that everything in college is serious and everyone takes it seriously.
7. Try a little bit of everything.
In college you will literally try it all. Whether it be relationships, food or even travel. All of the experiences you have had in one year make great stories and hopefully even made you stronger. After all, we only get one chance at our undergrad so we might as well make it worth the while.
8. The group of friends you meet will remain your group of friends for the rest of your life.
No matter what situation you met them in, they’ll be with you for a bunch of other situations. It’s great to meet a group of people who can go out with you on Friday nights and always have your back. This bond is extremely special, and you’ll realize you might depend on them for so much more.
9. College flies by.
Two semesters ago you were practically a baby, aimlessly walking around campus partially because you had no idea where you were going and simply because you had fewer worries. Now, freshman year is over and you’ve learned that things are getting real serious, real fast.
10. Never forget where you came from.
College is a brand new chapter in your life and it’s incredibly easy to get wrapped up in the newly found freedom and joys of life. There will always be a sense of nostalgia. You’ll miss your past and you’ll miss the person you used to be. Eventually, you’ll realize that change is good and it's sometimes OK to merge your past with your present.
11. Nobody else matters.
This is your journey and nobody else’s, so do what you love.
12. Breaks are necessary.
You’ll find that there’s nothing wrong with asking for extensions or going home for the weekend. The stress levels from college are extremely high and the only way you can get a quick escape is by taking a break.
13. Treat yourself.
At this point you’ve worked for everything you earned. Grades have been posted and before you know it, it’ll be time to starting working hard again. The best decision you can make is to say yes to everything and go out every night. The semester is finally over and you deserve to be treated right.
