Exciting, nervous, and maybe even a little scared are probably a few emotions you might be feeling going into your first year of college. Living in a place you're not familiar with, being around so many strangers that you aren't quite sure how you're going to make friends, and not to mention the meals you'll be eating that aren't home cooked. Although I am almost positive that you are not the only one feeling this way. Here are five things (out of many more) that I wish I would have known before I started my first year.
1. This is not like high school.
Going into my first year of college, I was sure I was going to love it. I mean high school was a breeze. I had my set group of friends, the teachers were relaxed (and easy), and the homework load was decent but not too strenuous. Boy was I in for a nice surprise. Whenever I got to the first day of school I had zero friends, plus I got assigned 5 chapters of reading. That is when I knew this was not going to be "easy" and the teachers said "Welcome to college."
2. It's OK. You're going to fail.
As a senior in high school I doubt I would have believed someone if they told me I were going to fail in college. Well sure enough that person would have been right. Going from a straight A/B student to someone who was accepting C's and D's I was about to lose my mind. Studying 10-15 hours because you're not sure what all will be on the test and then getting it back with a big C on it... definitely didn't help my confidence. Although I learned a great lesson about failure and how you aren't going to get it right all the time. Without failure I would have never been able to appreciate my successes.
3. Get out of your comfort zone.
I am definitely a people person, I was sure I was going to have a lot of friends when I went to college. That wasn't necessarily the case, I had never felt more alone in my whole life. I had to learn the the really hard way about making friends. They WILL NOT come to you, you HAVE to introduce yourself to them! It is so hard and intimidating to do, but just something I had to learn right off the bat! Especially when you don't live on campus (which I highly recommend to anyone considering.. commuting is THE worst).
4. College professors are there for you.
When I was in high school it was so easy to go up and talk to the teacher. I could ask questions during class, or before/after...that's not the case when you're in a class with 300 other students. I would usually have to email my professor or wait in an extremely long line after they were done teaching. Building a relationship with your professor is something that is really important to do in your first year of college. Go up and introduce yourself to them (back to #3), I promise they won't bite. If you have trouble on a test, paper, or a grade it's their job to help you pass the class so don't hesitate to go ask questions. Knowing them will also help you in the future, if you need a recommendation letter or help getting an internship.
5. You're going to be fine.
Coffee at one in the morning will become your best friend, study groups are also a life saver, and not only that but so is google (hah). The first year is rough but it's part of just trying to figure out the ups and downs of this new world. Take all of the experiences good and bad, and learn from them. Everyone has to go through the first year, so talk to people who are older than you and get ideas on how they've made it through. I promise, you're gonna make it!
