As I stumble (physically, mentally and emotionally) into my senior year of college, I can't help but think about all of the horrific mistakes I made my freshman year. If we're being honest, I was (and sometimes still am) an embarrassment. College feels a lot like being pushed down the stairs 100 times a day for four years, but it's the best and biggest adventure you will ever embark on. I went to a university far from home, with no one I knew, determined to make it out as quickly and as painlessly as possible. Three years later I can say without a shadow of a doubt that that did not happen, but that I learned more in my first year of college than in the other two combined. So here are some tidbits of wisdom for the incoming college freshman; some things I wish someone had told me. May your first year of fake adulthood be 200 percent better than mine was.
1) Go into school determined to be as open-minded as possible, and try everything.
I started my freshman year determined that I was NOT going to join Greek Life, and that I was too socially awkward to join a club. I went to at least 20 interest meetings but actually joined zero organizations. I sat in the back, ate the free food, and told myself that I wasn't going to commit because "it was probably lame anyways." By not going in with an open mind, I missed a lot of opportunities. Three years later I am a part of four clubs and am in a sorority. If I had told that to my freshman year self, she probably would have puked. You should try everything, at least once ...
2) But don't bite off more than you can chew ...
So often you can become overloaded by wanting to get involved in everything your school has to offer. It's harmless in nature but can ruin your freshman year so quickly. In your first year it is important to find a balance between academics, extracurricular's, and some sort of social life; and this balance can be tricky even for a seasoned multi-tasker. Joining too many clubs and committing to too many things all at once is a very easy way to set yourself up for a mental breakdown. Those come anyways, but we'd like to avoid them at all costs.
3) Don't be "that freshman."
Just think, it's your first house party. You walk in and the music is so loud and everyone looks so cool and you're drinking with all your friends and you think that you probably blend in so well and that everyone probably thinks you are "like at least a junior." Chances are, you blend in about as well as Snooki's foundation circa 2007. But that's OK. Don't try too hard to be cool, don't ever go in/out the front door, hold your booze and your friend's hand, and don't you dare get sloppy. That's not the impression you want to leave on upperclassmen. Make sure that the next party you walk into nobody say "Oh God not THAT freshman."
4) Don't be afraid to make friends in weird places.
You won't meet all your friends at parties. In fact, you won't meet the majority of your friends that way. Cliques died in high school, and finding people who you like and who like you can be tricky. Don't be worried about meeting people in the most unexpected places. Just because you wouldn't have talked to someone in high school doesn't mean you shouldn't try again now! Everyone will be looking for a tribe and will be desperate for that sense of belonging, just like you are. Smile at everyone, say hello to everyone, and don't try too hard to be cool. Literally everyone is faking it.
5) Take a deep breath.
You will find yourself crying on your dorm room floor at 3 a.m. because everything you thought you knew turned out to be wrong. You will have at least one panic attack. You will probably change your major once, twice, or (if you're like me) four times. You will make mistakes and have regrets and wish that you had gotten just a little more sleep. My greatest piece of advice for any and all college freshman is to take a deep breath, grab a cup of coffee, buy yourself a planner and do the damn thing. Remember that your education is a gift and not a right. You earned a spot at your University; so don't fuck it up.
