As I sit and reflect on my freshman year, there are five things that really stick out to me as things I wish I had done. Sure, I had an amazing time including finding my best friends, getting an internship, going to every sporting event, and more ... but here are just a few things that I wish I had done.
1. Gone to class more.
Honestly, I went to class, but sometimes sleep or other things decided to take precedence ... Oops. I wish that I had been more active in my studies, because that's why I'm in college in the first place. While yes, the other stuff is super-fun and great experience, education comes first. I've set a goal to go to class more in the coming years, and I hope incoming freshman can learn from my mistakes.
2. Gone out more.
Now on the flip side I wish I had gone out more. In my second semester, I finally decided to go out and party, but not in the first semester. My reasoning was that I didn't really have friends or people I knew, but I feel like this closed me off to meeting more new people and just having fun! Instead of going out and doing things, I would sit in my room and be lonely. I wish I had the balls to have gotten up out of my loneliness and meet new people earlier whether it was at a party, club or an event.
3. Left my dorm door open.
They tell you in all the blogs that to make friends in the dorms, you prop your door open and people will just come say hi. Well, I never did that, and I should have. I wish I had, because my room was the one that EVERYONE had to walk past to get to the elevator or their own room. I think I would have made more friends in a shorter amount of time and then my Netflix addiction may not have been as bad first semester.
4. Gotten a job sooner.
I waited until second semester to get a job, and I think that was a huge mistake. Trying to balance a new job, school, my new friends, my newfound freedom, sporting events and clubs was a hectic experience, and I unfortunately prioritized the wrong things causing me to fall behind. I wish that I had decided to get a job sooner because it would have forced me to learn to balance faster and not flounder so much.
5. Explored the city and state more.
Up until January 2015, I had never been to downtown Phoenix. I only knew Tempe, and even there, I only know my little bubble of ASU's campus. "Where's Broadway?" I have no idea ... close to campus, maybe? It was pretty funny trying to watch me direct myself around the city asking Siri to help me. I wish I had taken the time to explore the city of Tempe more, and the state of Arizona as a whole, because there is so much to do here and so much beauty. I also wish that I had gotten to see more of Tempe so I didn't navigate like a newbie (even though I was)
All in all, I had a truly amazing freshman year, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I hope that this will resonate with someone and maybe help them have an even more amazing freshman year that I did! Just remember to put yourself first and do what makes you happy. College is your time to explore yourself and your dreams. Don't let anyone tell you no. Believe in yourself. Ask for help when you need it. And have a freaking blast because college is awesome!
