Starting college is not always the easiest thing to do, but freshmen have to do it no matter the struggles they face. You are unknown to the majority of the students at the beginning of the year which can be a little overwhelming. Study your campus map, go for walks just to get used to places, take friends with you for those walks, and just get ready for everything. Eventually you will not just be that "freshman who knows nothing".
1. No matter how many times you walk around campus before classes start, you are still constantly getting lost.
You turn and face another brick building that looks exactly the same as the last one. You get to a place you are certain is the dining hall only to find out it is some random dorm. These feelings are normal because it is all pretty new to you. Do not worry, eventually you will actually know where you are going (for the most part).
2. You want to go out and meet new friends, but at the same time you want to just watch some Netflix and go to bed.
This can be a struggle especially at the beginning for freshmen. There is constant pressure whether from yourself or from others to want to hang out with tons of people. People leave often leave their doors open to invite others to come over to talk or to play games or to watch 'The Bachelor' while secretly wishing you were part of it. Some days that is a great thing to do, but you also may want to just have some alone time. Do what you think is the best choice for you on a day-to-day basis. No one controls you in college but yourself!
3. You desperately need to carry a map, but that would also make you stick out as new.
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Yes, you want to always know where you are going on campus. No, you do not want to stick out as an obvious freshman. My advice is to save a picture of the map to your camera roll. To access that map quickly, make sure to favorite it. Then you will have that map always at the tips of your finger. To others it just looks like you are on your phone, so you will blend in with others easier. No more map shaming for you!
4. You want to ask tons of questions, but you also do not want to be a bother.
This is a common concern for freshmen because you want to make sure you understand anything and everything that your little mind can think of at any given moment. How much does laundry cost per load? Do I have to register my bike? Is the cafeteria food good or terrible? Address your questions to your RA because they will be open to all these concerns, and they will not be upset with you asking them literally everything.
Also a tip, most of the information can be found online if you are googling at 2 in the morning or something. Check on the campus website before asking anyone because chances are it will be there.
5. Everyone seems to be wearing spirit wear all the time, but you only have the two free shirts they passed out the first day.
Solution: go buy some more spirit wear if you feel out of place. Also take advantage of any clubs or events that will give you free shirts to stock up for the year. It is okay to wear your high school shirts for the first semester, but eventually you will switch over to college stuff. Whatever you do, do not wear your high school varsity jacket because others will look down on you. Also remember that you are in college, so most people do not really care what you look like.
6. The temptation is to wear your lanyard with your ID, but you know this is a freshman red flag.
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You stick out as a freshman each time you wear your lanyard, but you still want to keep your IDs and credit card close to you for easy access. My suggestion is to purchase one of those stick-on holders for the back of your phone. You already carry that with you all the time, so it is an easier option. Spend that little bit of money because it is worth it.
7. Everyone else seems to have it all figured out even if they do not.
Here is a tip, the other freshmen are also lost. Some older students also have no clue what they are doing in life. They may appear to have life set on the outside, but that is not always the case. Just go about your business and try not to let others pressure you into figuring your life out right now.
8. People say their majors quite often, and you may be sitting here completely undecided which leads to some awkwardness.
Not all freshmen have a major coming into the game. For those who have no idea what they want to do, it is often uncomfortable talking with some upperclassmen who just really want to know. Just be proud of the whole "Undecided" title and not care about anyone else or their opinions.
9. You want to make friends with as many people as possible at first even if they do not share those same feelings towards you.
It is especially hard to make friends with students who lived there last year since they already have set groups of friends they talk to every day. Freshmen would rather people talk to them than to be ignored. If this happens to you, do not take personal offense. Just go find other new people to hang out with instead.
10. You are just super excited for the year to finally kick off because you have been waiting for college for a long time!
This is about to be one of the best times of your life. You are so excited for all the new experiences that will happen soon enough. Go out there and have a good time!
If you are not a freshman anymore, I hope you could still relate to these feelings from when you were younger. If you are a freshman, then I hope this all makes sense as well. You are not the only one going through all of this. Now, go make your year the best one yet!
