7 Things I Learned My Freshman Year Of College
Start writing a post
Student Life

7 Things I Learned My Freshman Year Of College

Lessons from both in and out of the classroom.

13
7 Things I Learned My Freshman Year Of College
Social Media 101

For me and many others starting my first year of college was scary. I had no idea what to expect, and hearing roommate horror stories from friends and how hard the work is from my high school teachers only made it worse. Now that my freshman year is coming to a close, I thought I'd share some lessons I learned this year, both in and out of the classroom.

1. College is so much better than high school.

I don't know about you, but in high school I had to wake up before 6 AM every morning and classes started at 7:15. I had class with the same people I've seen every day since kindergarten and had the same boring routine every day. In college, even if you have an 8 AM class, there is usually no reason you would have to get up that early. Most colleges are big enough that you don't know every person you walk by, and that is a good thing because there are always new people to meet. You have a different schedule every day which keeps you from getting stuck in a routine and just going through the motions.

2. Classes aren't as bad as high school teachers make them seem.

Yes, college classes are more challenging than high school classes. Even so, they are not so far from high school classes that you have no idea what is going on and you accept that you'll fail the class. You may get a class that is like that, but usually it is because of the professor. And remember, not all college classes are the same level. You start with 100 level class with professor that know you just came out of high school and are there to help you. You gradually get up into the higher levels, and you are certainly not thrown into a class that is way too challenging for you to do well if you put the effort in.

3. You don't need to worry about making friends.

I was sick to my stomach leaving the hotel I was staying in the night before move-in day. I was sure I wouldn't make any friends at college and I would be alone. Once i actually got there, I saw that I was completely wrong. Everyone is welcoming, especially the first week you are all there. Also, everyone else is trying to make friends too, so people are open talking to others who they don't know. As long as you put yourself out there and are friendly, you should have no problem making friends.

4. The dining hall isn't as good as it was when you visited.

When the college is expecting visitors they purposely up their dining all game. That rotisserie chicken you couldn't get enough of? You won't see that until open house day. That being said, there are so many options you can find something you'll at least settle on eating. Take advantage of the dessert in the dining hall and bring it back to your room for a midnight snack later.

5. It's okay to change your major.

I wrote an entire article on this, but in short, it's totally okay to not end up with the major you started out with. So many people change their major, and some come into college not even having one. It will work out either way, as long as you decide to do what you really love.

6. The homesickness will fade.

At first it will probably be harder that you expected to be away from home. After a couple weeks this feeling goes away and you love being at college. You probably will even feel homesick when you're home on breaks and want to go back to school and be with your friends. Don't get me wrong, it's always nice to go home, but it's also always nice to be back at your second home after being away.

7. You really don't need to take all that stuff with you.

I heard people tell me this and I definitely didn't listen. I kept telling myself, "but what if I do need this?" Spoiler alert: I didn't. I took way too many summer clothes and not enough fall clothes to wear before the first break. I also took way too many random things that just ended up in a junk drawer that I am now going to have to manage to pack up. Coming from experience, if you didn't use it at home, chances are you won't use it at college.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
14 of the Most Revolutionary Short Films of All Time
JoinOneLove

Today's society places a ridiculous amount of importance on social media and what we see on our computer screens. Some of these short films you might have seen shared on Facebook. Some of them you may have never even heard of. Whatever the case may be, these productions have used thier position of power in our world today to spread a message. The messages vary from domestic violence, LGBTQ acceptance, self-love, the role of men in society to end the unfair treatment towards women and even the promotion of the furtherence of medical discovery in our country. Regardless of the message, each film advertises something that needs far more screen time than Victoria's Secret Fashion shows or Keeping Up With The Kardashians. Here are 14 of the best and most revolutionary short films to date:

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Heading Home For The Summer

Why go somewhere fun when you can go home?

1886
girl with parents

Well, this school year has come to a close, and it's off to having fun in the sun. For college students, summer offers a few different options: get an internship somewhere AMAZING like NYC, India or somewhere else awesome, travel, stay in your college town or go home for the summer. Whatever the reasoning, many people do end up going home and living with their parents during the summer. Many things are different when you go home for the summer. After almost a whole year being an adult, it's time to return to your parent's home and follow rules that you threw to the wind the second you stepped on campus last fall. And you get to see all your old friends, the ones who came home anyway. You'll also see people you haven't talked to since you graduated that you were really okay with never seeing again. If you are going home for the summer, here are some things that will happen to you.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

14 Signs You Have A Big Butt

You will only understand these if you have a big rear end.

109177
Kim Kardashian pours champagne onto her big butt
celebitchy.com

The 'big booty' is all the rage right now, thanks to Kim Kardashian. People are getting butt implants just to have that 'perfect butt.' But what a lot of people don't realize is having a big butt kind of sucks. Here some things you will understand if you have a big butt.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

Airports

Because the best part of flying isn't the flying.

6341
Airports
Google Images

I’m not sure that many would consider their airport experience to be “fun.” It is either boredom or panic, layovers so long that you forget what the outside world looks like or connections that are made by the skin of your teeth. It is the decision between buying expensive food and starving; it is hunting for outlets (because the airports I’ve been in seem to have about five); it is the stress of making it through security without being that person who holds up everyone else. In short, it is stressful and time-consuming.

Keep Reading...Show less
blair waldorf and chuck bass
fanpop

New millennial jargon seems to arise everyday, one of the newest being “daddy." While people have always said things like “sugar daddy" or “come to daddy" (which sounds a tad creepy to me...okay, a lot creepy), now just referring to an attractive man or one's boyfriend/husband as simply “daddy" has become the norm. *Gag*

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments