Dear Class of 2020,
A lot of people fear the unknown. It is normal to be absolutely horrified of what the next year could possibly bring you. Your high school guidance counselors and family members who are in college can you give you as much advice as they can to help calm your nerves, but it doesn't ever seem to satisfy.
No one can tell you what is going to happen to you during your Freshman year at college because every campus is different. The best advice is to just be wise, and take it one day at a time. You can pin all of the "College Hacks" on Pinterest, laugh at all of those Twitter memes, shop through the "Ultimate Dorm Room Shopping List," nothing can actually prepare you like the experience of college itself. This is why orientation is incredibly beneficial, because you get to spend some time on campus with other kids in your year and create a bond with the orientation leaders. Your OL's are basically like college camp counselors and you'll probably have a weird negative attitude towards the positive experience they're trying to give you, but you should really befriend them because when you're lost on campus they will be more than likely in the same area and be willing to help you out.
Going back to your high school guidance counselors, they instill a fear in you to just put some flame under your butt so you'll work hard. They talk about evil professors and anxiety inducing environments that don't actually exist. It's rare to have a professor that locks you out of the class if you come a minute late, yeah the door will be closed but that's only for the convenience of the rest of class. If you're late and the door is closed, just walk in and sit in an open chair. But don't leave without speaking to the professor and explaining what happened and asking if you missed anything important.
Don't ever actually fear your professors. If you ask questions when you need to and act responsibly in their class and take things seriously, then you'll have no issues. Professors won't waste their time in scolding you, they'll just let it reflect in your work and final grade. The end of the semester comes faster than you could imagine, so be aware.
Get to know your RA, they'll help make the transition into college a lot easier for you and you will feel less alone. They will tell you what professor is an easy grader and who's more critical, where you can go if you're having trouble with an essay thesis or incredibly long math problem, or the best local restaurants that don't have the college town price tag. They usually know exactly what to do when you come across those annoying roommate situations too, which are more than likely to happen and it happens to everyone.
Don't be an idiot. I'm not saying don't have fun, but be smart about it. Know your limits and don't put your education second. You're paying for a degree, not the pong champion title.
Go outside of your comfort zone and be a part of something. In my Freshman year, I joined a sorority and it was the greatest choice I have ever made. I'm not saying you have to do something that extreme, you could try out an intramural sport to stay active and meet new people. Join a club on campus that caught your eye on a bulletin board at the dining hall. Write for your school's Odyssey team or their Stall Street Journal. Doing nothing and just getting through college is boring and you will regret it.
Tests, quizzes, final exams, group projects, and all of those fun things are no worse than they were in high school. They just carry a bit more importance and happen a bit more often. They're survivable and your professor isn't striving to purposely fail you so, again, if you have any questions or you are having trouble you should speak up about it and do not suffer through it.
Always remember failure happens at some point with everyone, but do not let that stop you. Not trying is a type of failure, too.
