Starting freshman year (or sophomore year, or junior year, or, really, even senior year) can be super stressful, because it's such a big transition. Where will I eat? Will I make friends? Will I like my roommate? How gross will the communal bathrooms be? What if I fail all my classes? When I was a freshman, I wished that I knew upperclassmen to tell me the ins and outs of the situations I was in, so now, I want to provide that to this year's incoming class. Here are the five things I wish I knew my freshman year:
1. It's okay to go out, like, all the time.
Seriously, this first week or so of the year is the only time (essentially ever) that you'll be able to have fun and not worry about responsibilities. Enjoy it while it lasts! Soon enough, it will be February and negative 50 degrees outside and you'll have three midterms in one week and won't be able to leave the library.
2. It's also okay not to go out.
I was, essentially, the lamest freshman. I didn't like to go out, didn't want to party, and just wanted to stay in and watch a movie with a bottle of wine and some friends on the weekends (honestly, not much has changed since then). But, as little as I wanted to go out, I still felt like I should, and I very frequently made myself do so. Yeah, it was fun sometimes, but I frequently spent the whole night wishing for my bed. In the years since then, I have learned to like going out, but I've also learned that it's okay if I just don't want to. If I think it's more of a wine-and-Netflix night than a go-out-and-rage night, I go with my gut and break out the corkscrew. Seriously, there's no one way to do college, do whatever you most enjoy.
3. You might not love your roommate (or your room, or your floor) and that's fine.
Randomly assigned roommates are always a gamble. I got super lucky and loved mine (shoutout to Neha, coolest current med student there is), but I know lots of people who didn't. I even know people who roomed with friends and ended up hating it! Seriously, you never know what your roommate situation will be, so it's best to just accept that and hope for the best. If it doesn't work out, it's just one year. Plus, you can always switch if things get really horrible. No matter what, your freshman year roommate will be a big part of your memories of the year.
4. Do not stress if you're undecided.
Coming into school, you will meet lots of people who know that they want to be premed, or a mechanical engineer, or the world's next Shakespeare or Steven Spielberg, but you never really hear about all the kids who don't know what they want their major to be. If you're one of those kids, this is really stressful. But don't worry. Most people don't actually know what they want to do. Even if they think they do, they'll probably change their minds at some point. You're not alone, and you'll figure it out soon.
5. Don't be afraid to try out for anything.
The beginning of college is the time to experiment and join new groups. Are you mildly interested in singing? Try out for an a cappella group! Want to get on the water? Join sailing! There are so many options that there's no way you can go wrong.
