Freshman Year: The Beginning of a Great Four Years
Instructor: Yourself
Course Description:
First and foremost, welcome to college! The next four years of your life are going to be an insanely wild ride -- sometimes the experiences will be mind-blowingly enjoyable, but at times, your years at university will be a complete sh*t-show. You will pass a multitude of tests, assignments, and presentations, but there will also be quizzes, projects, and a participation grade that you utterly and miserably fail. However, in between all of the ups and downs, you’ll still find yourself smiling at how amazing your friends are, at how supportive your family is, and at how much you are tangibly changing. You should be anxious because college is physically, financially, emotionally, academically, and even spiritually exhausting, but despite the exhaustion, the experience is still worthwhile, because you will be exposed to the most ambitiously inspiring people, the most enriching cultures, and perspectives that will ultimately change your life for the best. Be scared, but be excited.
Required Texts:
Your parent’s checkBOOK (for when you blow all of your savings and are in between paychecks of your own)
Some form of a journal (electronic or paper, just to record the happiest and most memorable moments that are bound to happen in such an intense environment like college).
“Complete World Bartender Guide” edited by Bob Sennett (this is for obvious reasons)
Required Materials:
general school supplies
two water bottles (you will lose one)
a credit card (FOR EMERGENCIES ONLY!)
a laptop (DUH! How else are you supposed to watch Netflix on the go?)
a closet that suits all occasions and seasons
three bath towels
hiking gear (for when you explore outside of the town)
a mini fridge stocked with food (for when you get the munchies and all of the vendors on and around campus are closed)
a thirst for new experiences
and an open-mind to accept new ideas
Attendance:
Always be present. I don’t mean that you have to attend every single class period that you signed up for (because let’s be honest- you will soon know that perfect attendance is impossible in college. In fact, I encourage you to take an occasional “me-day”. Life at college can get overwhelming when homework is piling up and you’re having an existential crisis, courtesy of your philosophy professor). However, do attend class more often than not. I do encourage you to be present in your college experience by engaging in class discussions, asking questions of your professors, and seeking out experiences outside of the classroom. Be present by not partying every weekend: explore the city, attend extra-curricular activities that spark your passions, and stay in on a Saturday night to listen to angsty music while you and your roommate vent about life. Finally, be present by offering support for your friends, by calling your family members who genuinely care about and miss you, and by introducing yourself to a variety of people. It’s important to be present, because this year, and the next three years like it, will fly by faster than expected.
Grading:
5% drinking safely
5% financial frugality
10% staying in touch with your family
10% being healthy
20% your academic transcript
50% participation (refer to attendance)
0% choosing your major (Honestly, don’t stress about doing this yet. I came into college thinking that I was going to med-school after graduation, and now I’m an English and Journalism major. I had heard this cliché so many times before, yet I stressed about it for my entire first year, and the first semester into my second. Even as I warn you to try and ignore the pressure of choosing a major, I understand that you will still stress out, but I promise that you will find your passion by taking core classes and getting involved on campus and with service).
0% finding your significant other (Don’t stress about meeting or being a trophy wife or trophy husband in college. If you convince yourself that you are supposed to find the love of your life after being out of your home for only four years, then you might end up rushing into unhealthy relationships. The dating world is fun in college, and though you may meet your soulmate, do not fall into the thought pattern that the love of your life is down the hallway or across campus. College isn’t "The Bachelor", and your peers are not the contestants.
Course Goals:
- Learn how to clearly articulate your thoughts, feelings, opinions, and ideas. This will help you to understand class material and to develop relationships with others.
- Make at least two close friends that you tell everything to (your parents, siblings, high school friends, or pets don’t count, but you can still be excited to tell them about your life). Finding these college friends is important because they will most-likely be able to relate to whatever college issue that you’re facing.
- Try to empathize with others. Empathy is essential for authentic connection, and authentic connections are essential for happiness.
- Kick ass in your classes. You don’t have to get an A+, but do learn something, and do try.
- Question you faith and/or perspectives on the daily. You won’t have to try to accomplish this because your classes will do this for you.
- Because you are officially an individual, embrace that; embrace your individuality. In one form or another, college is a fresh start, so be bold when you talk to new people, immerse yourself in unfamiliar experiences, and search for qualities and beliefs that attract you and make you unique. Abandonedly be yourself for the sake of authenticity, but adopt characteristics and thoughts from others to incorporate into yourself.
Extra Credit Opportunities:
Write an article for your school newspaper.
Perform something in front of others.
Actually study in the library once a week.
Grab coffee with a new person twice a month.
Join a club (and actually attend the meetings).
Find a part time job to experiment with the working world and financial independence.
Attend class hungover.
Don’t gain the freshman fifteen.
Take someone on an actual date.
Spend an entire day with yourself.
Take a road trip both semesters.
Stay friends with someone from orientation.
Go on the roof of a building that you’re not supposed to.
Pull at least one all-nighter for academic purposes.
Pull at least one all-nighter for non-educational purposes.
Host a potential student.
Invite your family to visit you.
Apply class material to your life.
You’re about to undergo a variety of fresh experiences. Some might be refreshing, but others will be frustrating. Either way, take advantage of all that your freshman year has to offer you, because once it’s gone, Sophomore year hits, and that’s a whole other adventure that breeds its own problems and guidelines.
