Imagine a small eighteen year old boy moving several states away to a new school with new people. This new freshman knows no one at the school, walking around campus with an over stuffed book bag containing any classroom item imaginable (just in case).
He is too afraid to make eye contact with people he passes on the small liberal arts campus and too frightened to ask a question in class. On the first day of classes, he arrives to class thirty minutes early just to be sure he is in the right place and he will be on time.
That was me three years ago. I was a terrified freshman, a nervous wreck that was afraid to grow up. Now, I'm a senior at the same small school that I am not scared of anymore. Actually, it feels too small, too isolated, and not adventurous enough. Reflecting on my time at High Point University, I think about advice I wish someone had told me when I was a freshman.
None of the advice pertains to suggested items to bring for your dorm or supplies for classes because everyone is able to figure that out as they go. Odds are if you forgot a toothbrush or need another binder, there is a Walmart within a few minutes of the school. Do not stress over those little things.
I have some real advice for you as you tackle your freshman year, hopefully, a lot more boldly than I did.
First, never be afraid to say "hello" to the stranger sitting next to you in your intro biology class or to say "good morning" to everyone you pass by as you walk throughout campus. You never know what friendships and relationships you could start with a simple hello. You will probably strike out more than once, but every freshman is starting over just like you and probably knows just as many people on campus as you do.
Second, form study groups. This does not just help you in class or provide you with someone to work through problems with; forming study groups is a great way to get to know people. Maybe you will find out that you prefer to do school work alone, but you still are giving yourself the chance to get to know more people.
Third, most professors don't bite, so if you need help it doesn't hurt to go ask for it. They are a resource you can use to grow. They don't have office hours just to sit in a room alone.
Fourth, stress over tests and assignments, but don't stress too much. Being stressed about a test or homework assignment is normal and good because it shows that you care about what you are doing. However, stressing too much is not good for your mental health.
And this leads into number five, grades are just a number, and they do not determine your entire life. That does not mean you shouldn't try, but sleep and food are necessities. DO NOT sacrifice either of these to study more, panic, or party. No grade or class should be worth crying on the shower floor over.
Finally, have fun and grow! The point of college is to experience all that it has to offer. It is probably your first time actually on your own and away from your parents. Eighteen years you have been under someone else's watch, and now you have to watch out for yourself.
Meet friends and make relationships. You never know which hallway neighbor from freshman year will end up being your partner in lab, boss, coworker, or best friend. And maybe, just maybe, you will end up falling in love with one of them.
