Going into my freshman year of college, I was anxious to begin my endeavors in what many have called the greatest years of their lives. Although I had prepared myself for immense change and copious amounts of caffeine, it wasn’t long before I realized that most of my assumptions and expectations of college life were hopelessly misconstrued. My first semester consisted mostly of desperate phone calls to mom and countless anxiety attacks, along with a few bad decisions and even worse grades. At one point I had my entire dorm room packed up and ready to transfer to a school closer to home. But I decided to stick it out another semester, and I can honestly say that was the best decision of my life. I spent Christmas break recovering from my disastrous first semester experiences, and decided to start the new semester with a clean slate. I returned to school with an optimistic attitude and began to do the exact opposite of what I had started off doing. It was only a matter of time until I realized that the key to my personal college experience was literally right in front of my eyes- my roommates. For reasons I have yet to discover, the only words spoken between my two roommates and me during the first semester were “Hey, we need more toilet paper.” But after pursuing a new mindset, I knew I needed to make some new friends. So, naturally, I began talking to my roommates. After all, they seemed much more content with their first semester than I was, so they must have done something right. A semester later, those same roommates are now my greatest inspiration and my best friends. They showed me how to get involved on campus, how to balance my studies with my social life, and most importantly how to make the most out of my college experience. I won’t bore you with the details of my latest experiences, but I’d like to share the following top 10 lessons I’ve learned in my freshman year of college:
1. Go to class. Either you or your parents are spending enormous amounts of money on college tuition, so you might as well make it worth it. So go to class, study, go to your professors’ office hours, and take advantage of all the opportunities your school offers in order to get the best education possible.
2. Independence is more than just doing your own laundry. Although I had my fair share of laundry-induced homesickness, being independent is about learning how to motivate yourself, manage your time, and discover who you really are without the influences of others.
3. It’s okay to get a B. College is hard. There’s no doubt about it. If you study your hardest and end up with an unsatisfactory grade, don’t beat yourself up over it. Your GPA does not define you!
4. You are heavily influenced by the people you surround yourself with. Chances are the people you meet at orientation or in the first week of school won’t be your forever friends. Take your time and find the kind of people you want to know for the rest of your life.
5. Don’t confine yourself to your campus. Most colleges are located in some pretty incredible places! Get out and experience the world around you.
6. Find a hobby and pursue it. Whether you like to play volleyball, paint, or sing, try to join or start a club that you are passionate about. If you don’t have any current hobbies, don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone and try things until you find something you love.
7. Call your family. It’s easy to get caught up in your studies and the college life, but remember the people who got you there. Make time to call your loved ones, no matter how busy you may get. (P.S. you’re going to miss Mom’s mashed potatoes. The school potatoes just aren’t the same.)
8. Stick to your morals. It’s all too easy to get sucked into the party life, or to cheat on that test you forgot to study for. But keep your integrity, and remember that you don’t have to follow the crowd.
9. Take care of yourself. It is important to eat healthy (the freshman 15 is real, unfortunately…), but it is also necessary to splurge sometimes. Reward yourself with some chocolate, binge on Netflix, or get your nails done every now and then. What’s ultimately important is that you are healthy and happy, because Mom and Dad aren’t here to take care of you anymore.
10. Take pictures. If you take advantage of everything college has to offer you, it really will be the best years of your life. Cherish it.
