1. I know where my freshman 15 came from.
Prior to college, I was strictly team Qdoba, but by Thanksgiving, Chipotle was my sole diet. Your friend wants go to Chipotle tonight? Sure. Someone on the floor going? Here's my order. Friend who couldn't make it last night? Yep. Every time someone mentioned it, I had the thought that I would have to wait weeks to taste decent food again if I didn't go, and I couldn't possibly imagine that. Looking back on it, hardly a week went by where there wasn't at least one opportunity for a Chipotle run. Eating out constantly isn't worth it when your parents are paying for an expensive meal plan, and frankly, you get sick of your new favorite fast food chain. Plus, the 10 shots you'll consume after Chipotle isn't the best thing for your spring break bod.
2. Make friends on your floor.
Two of my best friends live down the hall. Pro: We hung out 24/7. Con: We hung out 24/7. Half the time we went out together, they would end up passed out on my floor when their beds were less than 20 feet away. It was also nice always having someone to walk back home with after a night out. I love my friends to death, but more often than not, they would get kicked out of my room after I had shut off all the lights trying to sleep (they would not take the hint to just come back tomorrow).
3. Go to the library.
I have a friend who will go to the library for four hours. She'll do work for two hours then “walk around, find someone new to sit with and talk” for the other two hours. She does just as much socializing as studying, but as counterproductive as it may be, it's also a good way to meet people and get homework help. Find your favorite spot in the library and motivate yourself to get that huge workload reduced. And if you're lucky enough, the library's Starbucks is included in your meal plan.
4. Clean your room.
I promise you will feel healthier and cleaner if your room is somewhat clean. If you can't find space on your desk to charge your laptop, it's time for some cleaning.
5. Beware of casual hook ups.
Truthfully, I'm not a fan of this whole hookup culture. I am not the girl to make out with ten guys in a single night just to awkwardly avoid them when I see them on campus tomorrow, but that's just me. Wherever you stand on this matter, be careful.
6. Walking happens.
I completely underestimated walking until this year. Before school, I didn't particularly appreciate the convenience of driving anywhere I wanted, whenever I wanted in a car my parents paid to maintain and put gas in. Walking a mile to class every day wasn't exactly what I call fun. But give it a few weeks, and you get used to sweat dripping down your back as you still try to look cute for the lacrosse player in class. That is, until it gets to be below 20 degrees with a wind chill (then consider if your school's shuttle service agrees with your class schedule).
7. Friends with cars are important.
Your mission within the first week of school should be to find a friend(or friends) with a car. These special friends are the ones who can pick up your roommate when she can't walk home or take you to Target when Mother Nature surprises you and you're out of tampons. I didn't have a car on campus, and I felt bad for those who had to drive every time we had somewhere to go. Make sure you say thank you to those special friends who own a car on campus. Or if you're feeling especially nice, give her $5 for gas.
8. Napping is crucial.
It wasn't until second semester when I discovered my love for naps. I feel like I can't function until I take a nap on some days. Half the time I took one, it was because I was bored and thought it would be more productive than watching another episode of Netflix. Learn to take naps ranging from 20 minutes to two hours, and you'll wake up feeling like a new person.
9. Go to class.
Your parents aren't there to wake you up every morning, and you won't feel like going to class all the time. Some professors won't care if you show up either; they also won't care if you fail the midterm because you only attended the first lecture. Your parents (and/or you) are paying thousands of dollars for your education, you owe it to them (and/or yourself) to at least try and learn all the information these people throw at you.
10. Explore your school.
My school is a bar school, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have parties. Sure, the parties really aren't that cool once you become a routine bar-goer, but at least check them out. Going to the same ratchet freshman bars every night does eventually get old, and it's always nice to just hang out and have a wine night with some close friends or go to a party with the intention of meeting new people who might not be into the bar scene. There are also tons of activities to do sober! Your school has a club that thinks of tons of fun, sober activities and events to do on the weekends, so go check them out.
11. Get a job.
As a college student, you're broke. I couldn't tell you how I possibly spent over $1,000 this year, but I did it. By summer, you have to work your ass off to finance another year of flushing money down the toilet. I'm going to make such a detailed budget for next semester that I won't even have room to splurge on that drunk slice of pizza I love. Get a job and actually pay attention to where your money is going.
12. Find a way to live with your roommate, even if you're not BFFs.
My roommate and I met online. Yeah, that whole Facebook-online-dating to find a roommate? Been there, done that. That process showed how this is the prime example on why not to judge a book by its cover. Through the grapevine, my roommate had some wacky preconceived ideas of what I was like, but luckily roomed with me anyway. We get along like two peas in a pod. However, some people who met on Facebook went the complete opposite way. Set up rules early on. If you don't want her bringing boys home every night, tell her that off the bat. I couldn't imagine my college experience without my wonderful roommate, so just hope for the best and be respectful of whomever you end up with.
13. Don't forget your friends from home.
Don't forget about the people who made you, you. Keep in touch with your group message or a phone call every now and then. Hell, my friends and I made a Google Doc of random things we could think of to do over the breaks when we would all be home together. You guys are living completely separate lives now, and it's fun to hear about the crazy thing your best friend did last weekend. At first, it's hard to think how they have new best friends who you've never even met. I drove my roommate crazy with how much I talk about my friends from home. They'll still hold that special place in your heart and be waiting for you when summer comes, but don't let time pass you by while you're reminiscing about them constantly.
Good luck. It's the fastest year of your life!
