It’s my third year in college. I’m rummaging through an old hard drive, searching for any excuse to avoid writing my next term paper when I stumble across an old file: “Freshman year”. It was an account that I wrote in May after the end of my freshman year; a letter from a freshman to incoming freshman. So here it is folks: candid advice from an 18-year-old me.
You will meet SO many new people.
So many in fact, that (if you’re anything like me) you will not physically be able to remember all their names. In this year alone I have added about 254 new contacts into my phone, not even exaggerating. There is a trick that helps: when you meet someone new, learn something interesting about them - and like magic “that guy who sits next to me in chemistry” becomes “Johnny, the guy from Dallas who plays the bass in a band”!
[Party] responsibly
I’ve got to admit, college is a lot like it is portrayed in the movies. The parties, however, are not all they are cracked up to be. Don’t get me wrong, they are wildly fun and full of spontaneity, but after a few hours, everyone starts fading faster than a black t-shirt in a dorm room laundry machine. Once you reach that point, it’s time to go home. Let the party end on a good note because if I have learned anything, it’s that nothing good happens after 2 am.
Join a club
Do it, 10/10 would recommend. Find something you’re interested in, pursue it, and you will find other people who are as passionate as you are – BOOM friendship.
You probably won’t see the same people everyday
This has it’s perks I’ll admit: you can wear the same outfit two days in a row because the “Monday, Wednesday, Friday people don’t know your Tuesday, Thursday life”. In college, sometimes you don’t really know when you will see someone next - unless you go to a small school. For my big university peeps always remember, and this is a phrase I learned at orientation, “this is not goodbye, this is see you later!”
Make new friends, but keep the old.
College is a great time to “start over” - a clean slate. That being said, no matter how much high school might have “sucked”, don’t write off your friends that you left at home. They care about you and the memories you shared - and don’t worry, you will get to see them again over break. Unlike high school, for the most part, you don’t have the same classes with everyone every day or every year. You will start over with an entirely new set of people at orientation, in every class you take, and every semester thereafter.
Roommates: it’s kinda hit or miss.
You will share a space about the size of your current room with another person and all of their belongings. That relationship usually ends up one of three ways, in descending order of desirability: best friends, peacefully coexisting, and mortal enemies. “Mortal enemies” is a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the idea. My recommendation: don’t let it get to that point, it makes focusing on the important things that much more difficult.
Freedom and responsibility: it’s a package deal.
The people that say, “college is so much better than high school” are probably still in high school. The idea of college is, arguably, much better than high school – the main idea draw being freedom. That freedom is what seems so appealing to high school seniors, especially those afflicted by "senioritis". The freedom to create your own schedule… Rather than being confined to the same hallways every day for seven hours, you can start class at 10 am, find time for a one-hour lunch break, and even have Fridays off. The freedom from the rules of your parents… being able to do whatever you want, whenever you want. As they say, however, “with great power comes great responsibility”. Being “out on your own” has a lot of chores that seem to come along with it like laundry, groceries, and tuition bills.
You will have to adjust to living on your own
People always say, “You do a lot of adjusting your first year of college.” What does that mean? Fresh out of high school I figured “Well yeah, doing your own laundry, buying your own groceries, but that’s not hard”. And I was right, that’s not the hard part. You adjust to a whole new lifestyle of limited sleep and limited food options. The freshman fifteen is absolutely real, and it comes from a combination of stress, a thrown-off eating schedule, and a consistent diet of cafeteria food. All these things considered, you have to plan every aspect of your day. There is no one there to remind you to set your alarm or turn in that paper before midnight. I had a wake-up call, literally, just before my first college exam. My friend called me at 8:23 am asking where I was because I had an 8:30 am exam that day… across campus. Needless to say, I now set 5 regular alarms daily.
Your parents want to see you succeed.
Thank your parents and cherish all those nights of unconditional love, support, and free food while you still have them. Not to say that they still won’t still love and support you, they just won’t be there to hold your hand as often. (Don’t worry, everything comes back during breaks). That being said; call your parents. Not only do they love it, but also your freshman year of college is when you start to develop the best relationship with your parents. You’re kind of an adult now, and once they start treating you like one, you start to become best friends. Helpful advice: call them every day, really. It’s easy to do during your study break or walking to classes, and it is easier than a two-hour weekly phone call. Added bonus: you’ll probably enjoy it.
Live, love, learn
Lastly, don’t be afraid. College is full of new and exciting experiences that you can’t even imagine yet. Go ahead, opportunity awaits! The world is more of “your oyster” than it ever has been! And just remember, everyone will still be here when you come back for the Holidays.
