There’s a lot of things I didn’t know, realize or even listen to about college in my senior year of high school and even during the first months of freshman year. Here’s a list of some of the things I wish I knew going into college.
1. It's OK to get rejected.
I know a lot of you have probably already made your decision on where you’re going to school. If you haven’t, that’s OK, too. When I was choosing a school, I had it narrowed down to my top two, and I heard back from one of them that I didn’t get accepted. It was one of the most devastating things at the time, and I couldn’t handle the rejection. It was hard for me to accept and took my self-esteem to a low point. However, after giving it some time, it only drove me to better myself and helped me pick the school I ultimately knew was better for me in the long run. So, if you didn’t get accepted into the school or program you wanted or were planning on, just realize that everything happens for a reason (as cliché as that is), and even though it sucks, use that to drive your passion and prove that school or program wrong. You’ll be a stronger person for it in the long run. I’ve decided I’m hanging up my denial letter someday, just for a little motivation.
2. Change is not a bad thing.
I’m sure you’ve all heard the statistic that the average college student changes their major four times. Even though you believe you know what you want to study and what you want to do for the rest of your life, chances are, you’ll doubt your decision a million times. I know so many people who have changed their major, and I’ve thought about different options for myself plenty of times. Don’t be afraid to change your major. Even though you may be a little behind, it’s better to do what you want to do than be stuck in a major you absolutely hate. Chances are, if you don’t like your major, you’re not going to succeed. But also, don’t be worried if you second guess your choice. It’s normal to think about other majors, especially with how difficult school can be at times. So even though you may be going through a rough patch, don’t be afraid to stick with it, either. If you think that’s what you want to do, then do it!
3. Ew, a learning community?
I know, learning communities sound awful. I don’t know if every school has these, but it’s a group of other first year students like yourself who are in the same or similar major as you. You all take the same classes and even have a scheduled time to meet together. I know it sounds like forced friends, and in all honesty, it kind of is. I have made some of my closest friends through my learning community because we’re always together, and we have similar interests. Then you always have people in class with you, so then you don’t have to be awkward and alone in class or struggle through that math problem alone. It’s amazing when you have an exam coming up because then it’s like a big giant study group. You’re all in the same classes, so use it to your advantage. Trust me, when you’re cramming for an exam, you’ll be so thankful to have all these students by your side. It takes awhile for everyone to get warmed up to each other, but once it happens, you’ll be so thankful you’re in one.
4. Wait, food is free?
Yes, that’s right. I said free. Well, kind of. It’s not actually free because it’s most likely included in your tuition, but you’re already paying for it, so you might as well use it.
Meal plans. Oh yes, they get boring so quickly, but they actually have good food there. Take breaks from the food courts sometimes, and go out to eat every once in a while, but not all the time because college is expensive. Try to go to different food courts often, so you have a variety and don’t get tired of one because you eat there every single day. I know so many upperclassmen who love when I swipe them into the food courts because they miss the food. Take advantage of the meal plan when you have one because soon you’re going to have to make your own food every day. Plus, you’re already paying for the food, so why not eat it?
Use the Rec center! I never wanted to go because I don’t normally work out, and I didn’t want people to judge me, but it turns out, no one really cares what you’re doing. (Shocking, I know!) They’re just there because they’re trying not to gain the freshman 15, too. If you don’t like running on treadmills or lifting weights, I highly suggest going to the free classes. I used to go to Zumba every week (when it didn’t conflict with my schedule), and it was a great break from studying, and it kept me in shape, too. There’s also yoga and spinning classes and plenty of other options.
UC Shuttle Buses! Wow, I don’t know how this works at other schools, but UC has these incredible shuttle buses that will take you so many places. If you download UC’s app, there’s a portion on the app just for the shuttle buses, and it shows you the different routes for the buses and where they currently are. It’s so great because I work and have classes on med campus (which is a 20 minute walk), and all I have to do is track the bus and hop on. They also have shuttles running on the weekend that take you downtown, to Newport and throughout Ludlow. When it’s negative degrees outside and snowing, you’ll be thankful for these free rides.
LAC (Learning Assistance Center)! School is hard and going from high school to college is one difficult transition. I went from having 30 people in my classes to having more than 400. It can be scary and intimidating, and you might wonder how you’re ever going to learn, but there’s so many things to utilize. The LAC has peer tutoring, which is incredible and completely saved my butt last semester. Students who need help in certain subjects or even just want to review before an exam can go online to the LAC’s website (you can just Google it) and search for peer tutoring. You enter in your information and select which class and an available time with an available tutor. They’re so helpful, and I highly recommend them! It’s hard to get one-on-one attention in a 400 person lecture class, so use the tutoring for that individualized help.
5. Take classes you'll enjoy!
If you have the flexibility or option, take classes on topics you’ll enjoy. You’ll actually look forward to going to classes and won’t mind putting in the work because you’ll like what you’re learning about. Another helpful tip is looking up teachers on Rate My Professor before scheduling. You’ll like a class more if you find a teacher who’s passionate about the topic, willing to help and who other students have enjoyed. It’s a lot easier to transition from high school to college if you can appreciate your teachers and what they have to say.
6. Get involved!
I know it seems almost impossible to be involved when your school has thousands of people, but just look up things that interest you! Search online or go to activity fairs. At the beginning of the year, try some of them out and go to meetings. If you don’t like them, you don’t have to go again – they understand. Just get your feet wet and try to find things you’re interested in and try to meet new people. You may not get super involved or even find time to be super involved your first semester, and that’s OK. Just don’t be afraid to try again the next semester. Getting involved at school will make you feel more at home and like you belong there. You’ll take more pride in school.
7. Go Greek!
Even if you have the slightest interest to go Greek, I suggest rushing. If you end up not wanting to join one or not liking the bid you get, you don’t have to join. It’s a great way to meet new people and just see if you like Greek life in general. I think it’s better to go through recruitment and not join than to not put yourself through the experience and wish you had. However, you can always join the next semester or school year. I know plenty of people who have joined as second or even third years. I always had the thought of recruitment in the back of my mind and knew I wanted to meet new people, so I decided to go for it. I ended up falling in love with a sorority and found myself on bid day surrounded by 50-something girls in the same position as me. It took a while for me to feel fully comfortable there, but I’ve made so many new friends, sisters, strengthened old friendships and found somewhere I can feel at home at. Kappa Alpha Theta, and sorority life in general at UC, has strengthened my personality and communication skills in such a short amount of time. I highly recommend going through recruitment, even if you don’t see yourself as the "sorority or fraternity type" because you don’t have to be that super preppy stereotype everyone automatically assumes.
8. Adjust your schedule based on you!
I am absolutely not a morning person. It takes about 10 alarms to get me out of bed, and even then, nothing is really functioning, especially in my brain. So, I tried to pick classes that weren’t at 8 a.m. However, if you’re a morning person and love waking up early to be productive, then schedule all those 8 a.m.’s. With college, comes a lot of flexibility and means you have a great amount of free reign over your entire schedule and how you spend your time. Do what’s best for you to be productive and learn most efficiently.
There’s a lot of things I wish I knew going into college, but these are some of the main topics I wish someone would have told me. Not everything I say here might apply to you or even be helpful, but I hope they speak to some of you! I hope these are helpful to all you future college students. (Go Bearcats!) Look forward to college because as it is challenging, it’s a whole lot of fun, too!
