College is a scary place, there are thousands of people going to the same school as you. I went from a high school where I knew the names and faces of most of the people in grade to a college where I see new faces everywhere I go. From the short eight months of my first year in college I learned many valuable lessons about life; the people in my life, my future and myself.
1. Not all your friends in high school will stay your friends throughout college.
Coming out of high school, I did not have a ton of friends. To be honest, I had very few people throughout high school I would actually consider friends. My circle was very small, and by very small I mean four to six people. People came and left from my life; I did not think too much about it. Once college came along, the people I called "friends" turned on me; we went to different schools, met different people, but I did not change. All of a sudden the daily texts would turn into every other month "how are yous?" The effort put into our friendship diminished, and the love faded. We replaced each other with people whom we saw more. Those so called "friends" of mine started talking about me behind my back, and that is when I realized they were only my friend because we saw each other five times a week. Most of the friends I made in high school did not stay when the times got tough, but the ones I made in college made those tough times a little bit easier.
2. Choose a major you love.
This is your future. The potential income is important, but so is your happiness. I applied to be a photography major for one reason only — I am in love with it. My main goal in life is to be happy, and when I chose where my future was going, I had a quote in my mind, "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life." I did not want to spend my life sitting in a cubical, crunching numbers and staring at a computer. I choose a career I am passionate about. The potential income was not a huge plus, but my happiness was more important. Your future is based on you major — choose one you love, and I can promise that going to classes will be easy.
3. Get involved.
In high school, I did anything I could to avoid "getting involved." Mainly because, well to be honest, I didn't like most of the people who went to my school. Once I left high school, I was welcomed into a much more welcoming environment. I learned that getting involved can help you make some great friends in the long run. You get to meet people who have the same interests as you, even the ones you thought no one else would. Getting involved can make some amazing lifelong opportunities you wouldn't have gotten elsewhere.
4. Life goes on.
You might end up having a big blowout with a really close friend, or forgotten to turn in an assignment that your professor won't let you make up. It is not the end of the world, yes it will hurt, but life goes on. When I was little and I scraped my knee, I thought it was the end of the world. Look at me now, walking and not dead. Bumps in the road happen, you just have to get back on your roll and go.
5. Be yourself.
I could not express this enough. Those who are worth your friendship will like you for who you are. Be yourself, don't change based on what other people think. Some people are going to find your personality repulsive, and others will find it refreshing. Look for the people who want to be near you, and keep them around. If you want to join a club because it sounds awesome, do it. If you want to learn how to beatbox, do it. Don't let others influence who you are, be yourself and your lifelong friends will come to you.
6. Grades matter.
I didn't think this in high school, but trust me it is true. Your GPA will determine everything. If you want to join Greek life or if you want to get a co-op, your GPA must be on the up and up. So put your school before going out or your significant other. The second your grades slip is the second you realize how much you screwed up. I get it, your professor drops the lowest test grade, so why not try to get good grades for all of them so you don't have to worry? If you're offered extra credit, do it.
My first year in college has been a roller coaster of experiences. I quickly learned that I had life all wrong and had to reevaluate almost everything. These are only a few things I learned, and will continue to learn throughout the next four years.
