Dear Incoming Freshman,
High school is in your rearview mirror and college is your next stop. Your life is about to change. College is going to be nothing like high school, or what you see on television. It is going to be a roller-coaster, but don't be scared. Soon, you are going to be moving into your first dorm room, getting your first schedule and meeting new people. It is all going to be very different and crazy for a while. Accept the fact that you are going to have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Let's start with move in day. Move in day is going to be a flood of emotions. You are going to be excited to move into your room and hang out with your roommate(s), but this is also the day that you say goodbye to your parents and start to live on your own. Move in day was very hard for me because I am very close with my family. Accept the fact that you may shed a tear or twenty—like I did—because most freshmen do. Remember that your family is going through the same emotions. They are happy that you are growing up, but they are sad because they don't want to leave you. Therefore, go ahead and let your mom make your bed for you and let your dad help undo your school supplies. (P.S. Once school starts, it wouldn't hurt to call your parents once in a while.)
Your roommate is going to start out as your only friend. You guys are going to want to go everywhere together. Trust me, you are going to get sick of each other after a while. Be prepared to clean more than they do or be more respectful than they are. From my own experience, my roommate situations were terrible—enough said. Everything will work out though, I promise. You may be blessed with amazing roommates. I have a few friends that stuck by their first freshmen roommates for a couple years now. Even though I had really bad roommates my first year of college, I have amazing roommates now.
Even though move in day is exciting, you need to remember why you came to college in the first place: classes. Classes are going to start soon after you move into your room. Make sure that you know where you are going and that you are on time for your first classes. One of the weirdest things I ever had to do was walk into my very first college class and see absolutely no one I knew. Not to worry, I met two of my best friends in that class. I was worrying about classes for no reason. Yes, they will get tough and overwhelming. But, I know you can do it because I did. Everyone is in the same boat as you when you start out the year. Everyone wants to get to know people and make friends.
On the weekends, many people, especially fraternities and sororities, will be throwing parties. Don't be pressured into going to them if you don't want to. Fair warning: you are going to witness a lot of drunk people. So please be safe and follow these rules: First, never ever ever put your drink down anywhere. But, if you do, get a new one. Second, don't drink it if you don't know what it is. Some people learned this the hard way at my school. Third, if you decide to drink, make sure you have someone watching out for you. (Note: I do not condone or recommend under age drinking). Remember, you don't have to go to a party every single weekend. When you start college, there is a certain attraction to these types of parties—mostly out of curiosity and peer pressure. But it's always okay to say no.
The food isn't going to be like your mom's cooking. The freshmen 15 does exist—although it probably turned into the freshmen 55 by now. It is a very real concept for two reasons. First, your mom isn't there to make sure you eat your vegetables and don't eat ice cream before dinner. Second, you don't have to eat vegetables and ice cream before dinner is always a good idea. Don't be fooled, those pounds come rolling on quickly. Be mindful of this when you start eating college food. It is packed with hidden calories and a load of sodium and sugar. It is far from healthy. I know I didn't like this aspect of college, so I used my Flex Dollars—college pre-paid money—for food items at our university store. The food in there was a lot healthier for me and I knew exactly what I was putting into my body.
Community bathrooms are very popular in many schools around the United States. Although I didn't have one in my residence hall, many of my friends did. They loved having community bathrooms and lots of them met their best friends in the bathroom. I guess it was sort of a bonding experience between everyone. Gross. Moving on.
Lastly, your surroundings are going to be very new to you. You aren't going to know every street and intersection of your new school, and that is okay. You will figure everything out. When in doubt, don't be afraid to ask a professor or another student. Also, don't walk around late at night by yourself, especially if you're living in a dorm in a city. It can be very dangerous to be by yourself at night.
College is going to be a learning experience for you, but you will learn—like the rest of us did. Within two months of being in college, you will have it down pat. You will know short cuts to your classes, your schedule and practically everyone that lives on your floor. Don't be scared to start college because it is an amazing experience. Remember that college is a fresh start and it is important to be yourself.
Yours Truly,
Tori
