Dear Incoming Freshman,
A year ago I was just like you. I had spent my junior year stressing about the ACT and the SAT all while trying to keep my grades up as if my life depended on it. Then finally senior year rolled around and in between all the lasts of high school, and the last few months at home I also had to figure out where I would be spending the next four years. Eventually, I made my choice, graduated and was ready to start the next chapter of my life.
Thats when things started to get a little stressful. Sure, I had spent the last four years stressing over my grades and making sure I would get into a good school, but at least I had a plan. Now I had to prepare for something that I really didn't understand. It is impossible to picture what your freshman year of college will look like. Suddenly you go from living at home with your parents putting meals on the table and your siblings always around, to living somewhere unfamiliar and having to figure things out on your own all of the time.
To say the least, I was a little stressed out. I spent the summer watching way too many dorm haul videos and obsessively planning out everything I would need for my freshman year. I didn't know what to expect and as excited as I was, I was just as nervous. Going to a big school, being on my own, and being away from my family and friends was starting to become a reality. There were a million things to think about and worry about, but also a million more to be excited for.
Tf this sounds anything like you, I'm here to tell you to take a deep breath.
When I finally got to school, it wasn't nearly as scary as I had imagined.
Making friends was not hard. Making my way around campus become second nature. I was so busy between class and activities that it was hard to even find time to feel homesick.
The thing is that everyone around you is sharing all of the same feelings that you are. I promise you there isn't one person that walks into their dorm on move-in day and doesn't feel a little nervous. Everyone is afraid to go to the dining hall alone. Everyone is worried that they are going to get lost on campus. Everyone is worried about picking a major and joining clubs and finding friends and the list goes on and on.
If you've ever heard someone tell you that your college years are some of the best of your life, believe them because it's the truth.
I am only going into my sophomore year and I can honestly say that my freshmen year was one of the best years of my life.
Sure I had bad days. Because here is the thing, no matter how many people you know from your high school, or how close your school is to home, there will be days when you feel lonely. There will be tests that you will fail and days when you just don't want to get out of bed. Those feelings are totally normal. Just keep in mind that the good days are so much more memorable. You will make some of the best friends you've ever had. You will experience new things, go new places and take risks that you never have before. Being on your own for the first time gives you the chance to really figure out who you are.
Don't take a single day of the next year for granted. If you stay true to who you are and step out of your comfort zone a few times along the way, you are going to have the time of your life.
