As hard as it is to believe, summer is almost halfway over. Upcoming freshmen, you might not realize it, but this is bittersweet. Your time of living at home for free and having home cooked meals is slowly coming to an end, but get excited because, in a few weeks, you'll also be starting the best four years of your life.
About a year ago I was about to start freshman year. Honestly, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't terrified. Yes, I was ready to go to my dream school for the next four years, but it was also scary to think that I would be on my own for the first time. Spoiler alert: college isn't as bad as it seems. It'll take a few months, but you'll figure it out and learn a few lessons along the way. I know I learned so many lessons, but here are six of the most important things that I think all freshmen need to know.
1. This isn't high school anymore.
That's something you'll learn really quickly in the first couple of weeks. If you went to a high school like mine, you never really had to study and you just kinda went through high school without a care in the world. Didn't study for that history test? No big deal you'll make an A. That changes in college. You might study for a test for a week straight and think you did great, but when you get your grade back you realize you made a D. You might have been a straight A student in high school, but more than likely you'll fail at least one test in your college career, and that's totally fine (as long as you don't make a habit of it.)
In high school, everyone had their clique. In college, this isn't really an issue, with the exception of some people. These people will usually not be open to hanging out with other people, but rather stay within their friend group. I'm not saying having a close group of friends is a bad thing at all (see number 2), but those shouldn't be the only people you hang out with. College is all about meeting new people, and that's kinda hard when you only hang out with the same few people.
2. Find a solid group of friends.
Obviously, I knew I would have to make new friends, but I didn't realize how important this was. You and your friends from school are about to part ways after going to school together for probably the last thirteen years. Unless your hometown is close to your college, you probably won't be able to go home every time something goes slightly wrong, and your lifelong BFF probably won't be able to be with you unless y'all go to the same school.
This is why you need a good group of friends that will surround you and become your family.
These friends should be the kind of friends that'll be there for you not only when you want to go out and do something fun, but also when you want to stay home and watch Netflix. In case you didn't know, college is pretty stressful, and sometimes you'll just need a couple friends to be there to listen to you rant or to hand you tissues/ice cream when you're crying. While these shouldn't be the only people you hang out with, they should be your closest friends that will be with you no matter what.
3. Everything will change.
You, your major, your friend group, your interests, and so many more things. You've probably heard people say that college is about finding out who you really are, and as cheesy it sounds, it is so true. Technically, you're an adult, but you still have so much growing to do. You will change as a person, and that's completely okay. You do have to decide, though, if you want to change for the better or not. You may also go into college thinking you know exactly what you want to do with your life and then change your mind a few months later. (Trust me on that one.)
One of the best parts of college is that you can try new things, and you just might find something you never thought you'd like.Trust me on that one too. Before college, I really didn't watch sports that much (I mean why would I do that when I could be watching Grey's). After a year at Auburn, I've realized that even though I might not know what's going on half the time, I actually like watching basketball. I'd also grown up watching Auburn football, but I never realized how much I liked it until I got to college.
4. GET INVOLVED!!!
I can't stress this enough! This is also something you hear all the time, but it is so important. Get involved in a church, Bible study group, your school's SGA, a sorority, intramural sport, or anything else that you might be interested in. School should be important you, but you also need to have something that you can do when you get stressed out. Getting involved is also a really good way to make friends with the same interests as you.
5. FOMO is real.
In case you didn't know, FOMO stands for "fear of missing out," and it is so real when you get to college. You know you should stay in the library studying for that test you have the next day, but all your friends are going to the movies, so you say what the heck and go with them, but when it's time for that test, you don't do so well.
One of the best parts about college is that you're with your friends 24/7, but if you're ever away from them, you feel like you're missing out on something. This can be hard, but sometimes you have to learn to say no. I'm not saying you shouldn't go on that road trip to go to an away football game because you'll make so many memories if you do, but if there's one thing I learned in college it's that you need to learn to put your priorities in order, even if that means missing out on something.
6. No matter what, everything will work out in the end.
Yes, you might've just failed your first biology test, and yes, you might only have $3.48 left on your meal plan, but trust me everything will be okay in the end. It'll all work out, and you'll make it through your first year. Nobody ever said that college would be easy, but they did say that it would be the best four years of your life.
So, freshmen, you have nothing to be scared of. It might seem scary at first, but after a few months, you'll realize you can do this, and if you're still nervous, don't worry because you're not the only one.
