Dear Freshman,
Welcome! Now that you’re all moved in, it’s time for you to get acclimated. Well, start to get acclimated. That’s something that’ll take you a lot longer than a few days to see through to its completion. I’ve been here for three years and I’m speaking from experience when I tell you that college is not something you get the hang of in a week. Now, I’m not claiming to be an expert in Being a College Kid 101. But, as a senior, I’ve found myself reminiscing a lot about my freshman year and the memories I wish I could experience again (and some I’m not exactly sad to be done with). So, dear Freshman here is some unsolicited advice from someone who wishes she could do it all over again:
1. Go to the Late Night events
Most schools have fun weekend events that are sponsored by student activity fees - AKA some of the money in the “other” category of your tuition package that is used to fund the giant inflatable hamster ball races across the Student Union, so you may as well get your money’s worth. I went to my fair share of them freshman year before joining a sorority and filling my weekends with parties and siblinghood events. And while I would never say I regret joining, I often find myself wishing I still had the time to go to those events. There’s something about winning a goldfish by being the best at roommate trivia that just seems like the right way to spend a Friday night. Plus, it’s a great - albeit unusual - way to bond with your new-found friends and acquaintances.
2. Don’t become a free chauffeur service
I brought my car up to school second semester of Freshman year, and let me be very clear here: with great freedom comes great responsibility. If you have a car, you’ll be tempted to drive to the nearest city, nightlife hub, or fast food restaurant of choice a lot more than you ought to. But the real danger here lies in your friends: you’ll be asked to drive people around constantly. Sure, it’s nice to be able to say yes as a favor when you can. But cars don’t run on the power of friendship - if someone repeatedly asks for rides, it’s not rude to ask for a little bit of gas money to compensate for your time and convenience.
3. Your mental health will probably suffer, and you need to recognize when it does
College, as wonderful of an experience as it can be, has its dark side. I go to school in western New York, where sunlight is as rare as a professor who says “you can use the first edition of the textbook to save money.” A large portion of the student body has at least a touch of Seasonal Affective Disorder (read: the winter blues), in addition to whatever anxieties and depressive episodes that are triggered by rigorous courses and demanding workloads. Late into the fall semester of my freshman year, I experienced my first depressive episode, and I had no idea how to handle it. I had always been an optimistic, happy person, and I didn’t know what was wrong with me, or why I suddenly didn’t want to get out of bed, or why I found myself trying not to wake my roommate with my seemingly random bouts of 3AM tears. I spent my winter break taking care of myself and allowing myself to de-stress, and when I came back the next semester, I rushed my sorority and in that process I found myself excited to participate in the rituals and to bond with my new friends. I was getting better! ...Until I had my first panic attack, three weeks before the end of spring semester of my sophomore year. Nothing is more frustrating than trying to figure out your mental health when you’ve never experienced one of these phenomena before. And it’s okay - you’re going through a whole slew of major life changes, and sometimes these changes can get the best of you. Don’t throw in the towel, you’ll get through it eventually. The most important thing is that you find healthy coping mechanisms and that you take care of yourself. Seriously.
4. Not every weekend has to be jam-packed with events and parties
Some of my favorite memories from Freshman year include watching YouTube videos and American Horror Story with my first college friend on my oversized bean bag chair, drinking vending machine soda and eating popcorn made in the microwave that someone used to set off the smoke alarm by making cup noodles without water. I still stand by what I said earlier about going to late night events and going out if you’re into that, but sometimes all you need is good company and a Netflix account to make a Saturday night.
There are so many other things that I could tell you to do to make the most of your time here at college. And if I could do it all over again, I would in a heartbeat - without changing a thing. Every college memory - no matter how “college” it sounds - is a unique one that I can guarantee you’ll regret not having if you don’t bother to make it. I have some memories of relatively horrible experiences that I still wouldn’t give back for the world - this is a huge growing chapter in your life, so be present (Oh, and take lots of pictures. You might need them to jog your memory the day after a successful night out).
From,
Your Friendly Neighborhood Senior
