Freshman year is scary and it's okay to not know things before you go. Here are some things that I wish I had been told before I left for college.
1. Everyone thinks they aren’t going to make friends.
It sounds to obvious when its stated out loud but sometimes you just need to hear it (or, in this case, read it). When you first move into your dorm all jittery about college and just being away from home and your home friends just remember this: EVERYONE thinks they aren’t going to make friends and that they’re going to be alone for the next four years. If that isn’t a conversation starter with your new floor mates then I don’t know what is!
2. It’s not high school anymore.
I know EVERYONE always says this but seriously, no one cares who you were in high school. I’m so glad that you were prom queen/king/most popular kid in your school and you should be proud of that but a lot of people want to escape the high school drama so don’t be the person to bring it with you! P.S. there is no such thing as popularity in college. Seriously, how are you gonna be the most popular kid on a campus of 20,000+ people.
3. You don’t have to party hard to fit in.
If you go to a party school it might feel like that but all you end up doing is making friends with people you really aren’t friends with. Find the people that you’re most comfortable with not who you think you should be friends with just because they party hard.
4. Your first friends will not necessarily be your best college friends.
Throughout freshman year people change and so do relationships so if you find yourself drifting from that person you met on your first day and were inseparable with, that’s okay! Be open to change and meeting new people.
5. It’s okay to stay in sometimes.
There’s a lot of pressure in college to go out all the time and be crazy and party hard but some of my favorite times are when I just stayed in with my friends and we did nothing. It’s okay if you don’t go out every weekend.
6. Second-semester-please-let-college-just-end-already-itis is real and it SUCKS.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a freshman or a senior when second semester hits and all you want to do is just go home for the summer and not think about the 2 papers and 3 exams you have due in the next few weeks.
7. It’s okay if your body changes freshman year.
Whether you gain the freshman 15 or 50 your body is going to change over the course of the year just remember to eat healthy, exercise and love yourself no matter what!
8. Yes, even you have to do your own laundry.
Part of going off to college is learning how to be an adult and that INCLUDES doing your own laundry, or at least learning how to.
9. You may not love your school all the time.
It is COMPLETELY okay if you’re not in love with your school at every moment of the day. However, if you find yourself being more miserable than not, there’s good news! You can transfer if you want! My only advice is this: don’t go into college being like I’m going to transfer because you never know, you could really fall in love with wherever you are.
10. Do NOT take an 8 a.m.
Seriously, don’t. I did during first semester because I was like “oh I had 8 a.m.’s every day in high school, I’ll be fine!” NO. YOU WILL NOT BE FINE. YOU WILL WANT TO DIE.
11. You’re going to lose touch with some of your high school best friends.
When I went to college I was like, high school bff’s forever! But in reality, you’re going to lose touch with some people and that’s okay! We all change when we go to college and we are all in different places. It doesn’t mean that you’ll never be friends with that one person again, it just means that right now isn’t your time.
12. Meet your professors.
Yes, it’s scary but meeting your professors gives them an opportunity to put a face to your name and it gives you an opportunity to make a meaningful connection that could be helpful if you want to do research or need a recommendation of any kind!
13. You’re going to miss home.
It’s inevitable really. Some days all you’re going to want to do is just go home, hug your mom, and never leave your house again and that’s okay.
14. You’re REALLY going to miss your pets.
Sure they might’ve annoyed you when you were home but now that you’re in college and you can’t just readily pet a dog or a cat or whatever pet you have, you’re going to realize how much you miss them.
15. You absolutely do NOT have to have your entire life planned out before you go to school.
If you do, that’s fantastic! But if you’re like me when I first went to school, it’s okay to have no clue what you want to do. This gives you the opportunity to take classes that interest you and that you might want to pursue a career in! It’s totally okay if you don’t have it all figured out and it’s totally okay if you do. College is about exploration, so use the tools that are given to you and explore!
