As my first year at UGA is coming to an end I started thinking back on some of my best experiences.

There are some things I definitely would have done differently, but overall it has been the best time of my life. I am going to share the top 5 things I did to make my freshman year the best it could possibly be.

1. Join Organizations

A lot of people worry about being able to make friend in college, but for me, this was a little different. So many people from my hometown were coming to UGA and I was tired of hearing about the same people doing the same stuff. I decided to join a sorority and also to join UGA Heros, and this opened up the opportunity to meet so many great new people. There are so many different clubs or organizations that you can join and you can narrow it down to your specific interests, this way you can find people who are just like you. I was able to meet people that I am so thankful for and are honestly way better friends than I could ever imagine. It also helps you to be more productive with your time while also doing something you really enjoy.

2. Say yes more often

For me, college is all about finding out who you really are and what your true passions are. There are so many different paths you can take in college and so many great opportunities will be presented to you. So if there is an opportunity to study abroad, take an internship, or even just learn about a subject that you have never learned about, just say yes. This is a time where you can try new things and completely drop them if you don't like it or to go explore great new places you have always wanted to see. College is a great time to step outside of your comfort zone and find out who you really are.

3. Leave your comfort zone

Yeah, just like I just mentioned. This is honestly something that I have to constantly remind myself and it is something I have really been trying to work on lately. I have even started trying to take cold showers because apparently, it is a good first step in doing things that make you uncomfortable, and, let me tell you, cold showers make me VERY uncomfortable. This goes along with saying yes more, but leaving your comfort zone can also be as small as answering questions in class. Not only does this get you participation points (and who doesn't need those), but it also helps get you out of your shell. It is so easy to worry about looking dumb in front of the class, but this will hold you back so much. So stop worrying about how you will look and worry about reaching your full potential.

4. Go to class

Yeah seems simple but trust me this can be very hard. One of the great things about being a student at UGA is that we have an amazing academic program, this can also suck when there is so much fun to be had in Athens. Just make sure you delegate your time between fun and school work!

5. Embrace being a Dawg

I went to a small high school where there wasn't a lot of school spirit, so coming to UGA was kind of a huge culture shock. So if you are in this same position I encourage you to tailgate your heart out and cheer as loud as you can in the student section because it truly is a one of a kind experience.