As an incoming freshman, there are many things you are taught during orientation. However, some things may not have made the cut (or been appropriate at the time and place) for you to hear. Here are a few things that you may also figure out for yourself during the first year of the rest of your life!
1. The "ol' college try" is not a joke.
You've heard people say it before, usually in a joking manner. Heads up; it is real. All of the motivation you've put toward anything can slowly deteriorate due to many things, leaving you with an "I'll try" or "We'll see" attitude. That party you were so pumped up for? Yeah, you forgot about the four tests and the speech you had to give the day after. If you don't know a bit of your material, you'll stay in and hit the books. If you think you know your stuff, and have spent a lot of time studying and feel like you deserve a reward, you'll give it the ol' college try. You may wake up five minutes before class, and do some last-minute cramming as you sprint past Java City, but hey, you tried and you learned!
2. Late nights and 8 a.m.'s do not mix.
I won't sugarcoat it; we've all had nights than ran a little longer than we imagined they would. Somehow, "Thursday night in Cleveland" always seems to claim a victim or two (or three, or four). It's not until you're standing in the Dodges line at three a.m. that you realize the test you have in five hours is, well, in five hours. Learning to avoid situations like this will prove itself vital to your college survival.
3. Cereal: It's what's for dinner.
Your college spending budget may start out well, but after a few weeks of going out, using all your flex bucks and the cafeteria just not doing it for you anymore, you will come to enjoy a meal that consists of cereal, milk and a bottle of water. There is a good chance this will be repeated nightly, with the occasional trip to the McDonald's dollar menu after raiding every and all available furniture for change.
4. Not everyone you meet is a freshman.
It may sound silly, but this has happened to everyone at least once in their college career, whether they admit to it or not. Meeting new people at parties and around campus is always good, and truthfully, age is hard to judge. Asking someone what orientation they went to the previous summer may not go the way you imagined; trust me on that one. One of my now closest friends at school was asked this question by me, and the answer I received left me embarrassed as possible. Unknown to me, she was starting her senior year, and I was about three days into my freshman year, having set my schedule as my lock screen just so I could save trying to navigate campus from class to class. The moral of this particular topic is do not assume you know something unless, well, you know it.
5. Your professors are your friends; they will help you.
As intimidating as some of them may seem, your professors are not evil humans on a mission to make your life a living hell. Most all professors and instructors will go above and beyond to see you succeed, because believe it or not, they do not want to see you fail, especially at small schools like Delta State. No matter what the issue is, shooting your professor an email will always do more good than harm. Don't be afraid to ask questions about the class or the assignment in fear that they might think differently of you; if you're asking questions it means you're trying your best to do what has been asked of you, and they will surely note that. Professors will be there for you long after you need them to. Making connections across campus in various departments is always beneficial to you. They enjoy what they do, and speaking to them randomly on or off campus might just make their day. I've sat down and had lunch in the union with a professor from my first semester, just because we had a good relationship in the classroom and he wanted to know how my current semester was going. The faculty is here to help you, not hurt you. No matter what, you can always go to your professor, instructor, or any administrator for that matter and they will do all they can to get you what you need to know or point you in the right direction.
Overall, college is a learning experience every day, both in and out of the classroom. The things you learn your freshman year in particular will stick with you forever, and they are nice to have in order to pass down some wisdom to future students. College is the best years of your life, and not all of the knowledge and facts you learn will come from a 9 a.m. PowerPoint. Enjoy your collegiate years, and know that no matter how smart you are, you'll learn something new through some wild situations, good friends, professors and most importantly yourself along the way!
