As freshman year comes to a close, I thought it would be fun to tell this year's moments through "New Girl." Freshman year is full of firsts, good and bad, so it can be overwhelming at times. It's your first time living on your own, making completely new friends, and having a whole new learning environment. In my opinion, "New Girl" was the best way for me to convey my year of firsts in a new place.
1. Unpacking and packing up your dorm or apartment.
It was all fun and games before you realized how much there was to do. All the shopping was so exciting, but then you got there and realized you had the world to unpack. Or vice versa, when it's the end of the year and you have to move out. Well, sometimes it's better just to sit around the boxes and cry.
Your first year they are going to be everywhere on campus, and it's going to be heaven. Soak it in, though, because the longer you're on campus, the more you will learn about them and what you learn will eliminate about half of them from your list of prospects.
3. Finishing your first finals week.
You pulled all-nighters in high school, but never were they this stressful. Three exams in one day is normal and if you've procrastinated, which you probably have, you will have to catch up on everything all in one night. Advice: don't wait.
4. Realizing that you are perpetually broke.
Fending for yourself means making your groceries last all month when they are supposed to last two weeks. So, you often have to mooch off your friends for food when you go out because, let's face it, you don't have the money to live like a rich bitch.
5. Staying in bed all day on Saturdays.
You've gone to class all week, you've probably worked, and you might even have had some extracurricular obligations. So, even if you didn't go out on Friday night, which you probably did, you need Saturday to rejuvenate.
6. Having late night study sessions.
Because everyone's schedules are different, study sessions happen most often around nine or ten p.m. At a certain point in the evening, people can get really irritating. You're hungry, you're tired, and you're frustrated from studying for so long that damn math test.
7. Getting your dorm or apartment to yourself.
Just like other people's food is always more delicious, having the place to yourself always makes you want to do weird things you can't do when your roommates are home. If you want to dance around "Risky Business", go for it. If you want to take a bubblebath and listen to your music on full volume, do it. The world is your oyster. Free your soul.
8. Watching your GPA drop faster than you can blink.
Let's be honest; the grading system is seriously messed up. You do all your homework, and you make three high As on your tests, and you will have you a solid 92 in the class, and then you make one C and your grade goes down to a 71.
9. Going on late night adventures.
You know it's a bad idea because you have class in the morning, but that little voice in your head keeps whispering, "This is what college is about. Make memories." But, that voice is also accompanied by your friends pestering you to get out of bed and go on an adventure, so you end up doing it.
10. Being able to let go of all high school judgment.
If you want to join Swing Dance Club, join freakin' Swing Dance Club. I can guarantee you that you will have fun, meet new people, and not one person will judge you for it. College is all about trying new things and stepping out of your comfort zone. I bet you'll see how fun life is once you stop worrying what other people think.
11. Trying to take advantage of the gym.
It's on campus and it's free, so you figure you might as well try to stay in shape while you have access to this luxury. But, it's not always easy to get into the swing of things.
12. Finding your place.
Trying new things is always a good thing. But, it's important to remember that not everything is for you and that is completely okay. Enjoy where you are and keep branching out.
13. Registering for classes gives you anxiety.
You always heard how stressful it was, but you never really realized until you planned out all your classes and watched as all the upper-level students got first pick and the seats in the classes you needed slowly diminished. It's the second most stressful time of the year next to finals.
14. Building a special bond with your roommate.
If you're anything like my roommate, Christina, and me, you've gotten to a point where you know you love each other, so you're brutally honest. You keep each other in check; you're always there for advice, and you know who to kill when all your milk is gone.
15. Wishing it wouldn't have gone by so fast.
Everybody said it would fly by. They were right. It went by before you could even blink. But if you did it right, you've made more memories than you did in all of high school. The best years of your life are yet to come.
Soak it all in. Live in every moment. Don't let the challenges beat you down. And, above all, remember that Schmidt happens.
