A month ago I finished my freshman year at the school of my dreams. Looking back at it now I realized that I've changed and a lot of things themselves have changed. I've grown as a person and I'm grateful for the people who contributed to that. Many lessons were learned, some being the extremely hard way. So here are 7 things my freshman year at LSU taught me.
1. DO NOT TAKE 7:30 A.M. CLASSES
Coming from high school and having to get up at 6 A.M., I figured taking 7:30 A.M. classes would be a piece of cake. I was wrong. I REPEAT I was wrong. In the beginning it was fairly easy because I was excited to be starting a new school and having new experiences. But as the semester progressed I realized this was the second biggest mistake of my life. The first being scheduling multiple 7:30 A.M. classes. I learned my lesson and for the rest of my college career I will try to avoid ALL morning classes if possible.
2. GET INVOLVED
LSU is a really BIG school, With more than 30,000 students enrolled. You don't see the same people every day and making friends is quite difficult with the student body this large. So the one thing that made making friends easy it was getting involved. Getting and staying involved helped me meet some of my best friends and help me grow as a person to become a better leader.
3. NO'S CAN'T HOLD YOU BACK
I went and applied for a lot of things. Some of them I didn't get and some of them I did. But the ones that I didn't get, it was sad to be told "No, we don't think you are ready" or "No, we don't think you are the right fit." Getting told "NO" is a part of life. It is what you do with the "NO" that truly makes you a better person. I got told "NO" a lot and I'm thankful they told me "NO" because it made me worker harder so they would possible say, "YES" the next time. No's can't hold you back , they can only make you work harder and strive for improvement.
4. YOU MAY LOSE FRIENDS
College changes people just like high school. You may come in with some of your best friends like I did and leave with them practically being strangers. It happens, it's life, people grow apart, and it's ok. New friends will come along and though it won't be the same, it's ok.
5. ITS OK TO BE HOME SICK
My first month in college I was homesick every single day. I called my mom at least twice or three times a day and FaceTime my brother in the afternoon. I wanted to be home more than anything but also I didn't want to leave LSU. Eventually after getting accustomed to everything I realize it's OK to be a little homesick, it's normal. Now every time I go home I just want to be at LSU.
6. RELATIONSHIPS WILL FAIL, ITS OK.
Coming into college with the relationship or having a long-distance relationship is difficult. People sometimes go there separate ways and grow apart. Even though at the moment it may feel like it's the end of the world, I promise it will be OK. (Eventually.) Relationships end and it's OK, some relationships weren't meant to last a lifetime no matter how much you want them to.
7. MOTHER KNOWS BEST
This may be a bit cliché but it has the upmost truth. Being away from home for months at a time is sad. You begin to miss things you didn't even think you were going to miss. Taking advice from my mom via phone call and FaceTime is exactly what I needed while being at school. In high school I didn't listen to my mother who had been there and done that. But recently she has become why I strive to be a better person and having a mother's input on things doesn't hurt.
Hopefully many more lessons will be learned in the fall at my new found home.
