I know that being a freshman can be scary at times, but I’m here to tell you that it does get better. For most of you, college is your first taste of freedom, so it can be scary and exciting. It wasn’t that long ago that I was in your shoes, so I’m still adjusting as well, but I can already notice the improvements.

1. You learn where to go on campus.
2. You master the scheduling process.
3. You have friends in almost every class.
4. You don’t HAVE to live in the residence halls.
5. If you don’t live in the residence halls, you probably have your own bathroom.
6. You don’t have to share a washer and dryer with the entire freshman class.
7. You probably got to pick your roommates, and they were probably people you actually wanted to live with.
8. You’ve learned the best place to rent and buy textbooks.
9. You’ve learned that even though you have freedom and no one is forcing you to go to class, you should still go.
10. You don’t have to have a meal plan and can eat anywhere you want, or you can just cook it because you probably have a stove now.
11. You’ve learned if you are a morning person or not, so you know whether or not to schedule 8 AM’s.
12. You don’t get homesick as often.
13. Now that you have friends and have made college your home, you don’t feel the need to drive back to your hometown every weekend.
14. You know how to prioritize schoolwork before going out every night.
15. Hopefully by now, you are confident that your major is for you, and if not, then you have already changed it.
16. You get to take more classes directly related to your major, instead of the boring general freshman classes.
17. You’ve learned the area more, so you know the fun places to go to.
18. You’ve learned that coffee is actually your best friend.
19. You realize how crucial it is to check your university email account every few hours throughout the day.
20. You’ve found the best places for you to study.
21. You still got to all of the campus events just for the free food and free shirts.
22. You’ve realize that it’s okay to make a few bad grades

Freshman year can be so stressful, but it can also be one of the best years of your life. It’s when you’ll make the most memories, so be sure to enjoy the good times. If all your experience from college has been awful so far, give it time and I promise it’ll improve, and you’ll have so much to look forward to as a sophomore.