You just walked across the stage and were handed your high school diploma. You just threw your caps and were surrounded by the people you probably grew up with for the last several years of your life. You just finished your senior year of high school. You just graduated.
Scary, I know.
But I'm here to tell you that although one chapter of your life has come to a close, your life is simply just beginning. You are about to live on your own, experience life on your own and grow up in more ways than you have ever imagined. You are about to have the best year of your life— freshman year of college. I'm so stinking jealous of you, because I would give anything to live that year over again. But, with that being said, here are a few things I wish people would have told me before my freshman year:
1. Don't bring 700 t-shirts with you from home.
All your high school t-shirts may seem super cool and comfy right now, but I promise you that you will buy 700 more at college, and I promise you'll only wear the same five every day.
2. Unless you are a morning person DON'T take 8 a.m. classes.
One of the perks of college is being able to choose the times you want to take a class. It may seem like you want to just get it out of the way and have the rest of the day free, but there will be days where you cannot get out of bed and/or will fall asleep in class and your grades will suffer from it.
3. Use RateMyProfessors.com.
College is big, and unless you already know some upperclassmen, you probably know little about the professors you might have. This site is awesome because people who have had these professors, tell you whether they are hard or not and what you should expect from the class. Use this site and drop out of any class where every comment is warning you about that class being described as "death."
4. It's okay to not know what you want to major in.
I know it's overwhelming, and you feel pressured to already know what you want to do with your life, but you don't have to at all. People change their majors ALL THE TIME—even those who were 100 percent certain they knew what they wanted to major in. You'll find your calling and your passion in time, don't stress about it.
5. Your best friends the first week of college probably won't be your best friends the last week of college.
This is completely normal. We all come into college wanting to meet a bunch of new people and make a ton a friends, which you will, but in time, you'll find a smaller group of people who you are much closer to and probably spend 24/7 with. Quality over quantity.
6. Put yourself out there.
We all came to college to start over and be the best possible versions of ourselves. You can become the person you've always wanted to be. Sure there are some people from your high school that may also go to your college, but the majority of the people here didn't know about your past. They didn't know if you were a band kid or the prom queen, and frankly, they don't care. They just want to find a good group of friends to take on life with for the next four years. So, don't be shy, put yourself out there, be the first person to introduce themselves and take initiative. You'll thank yourself for it later.
7. Don't buy books until after the first day of classes.
Some professors hardly use the textbooks listed online or any at all. They'll tell you during syllabus week what you need, so don't try to be too much of an overachiever before school even starts.
8. Buy a ramen cooker.
Okay this is an essential. You just plop your ramen in and put it in the microwave for four minutes and BAM its all cooked and ready to eat. Perfect for Netflix nights in or just whenever, really.
9. Try to stay healthy.
No, this is not contradicting the ramen thing. Its perfectly okay to have your fair share of junk food, but it's also important to keep your health in mind. In college, you will have your second dinner at 2 a.m. and no, you're not the only one doing so. With that being said, try to hit the gym a couple of times a week or indulge in a salad instead of that burger.
10. It's okay to go a little crazy.
YOLO as much as possible. You only get to be a freshman in college once. But also remember that your education should be your No. 1 priority.
11. Go out every night of syllabus week.
DON'T STAY IN. There will not be another week as relaxing or easy as syllabus week for the rest of the semester. So take advantage of it, and have fun with your friends.
12. Learn how to do laundry.
Mom isn't there to do my laundry anymore? What? Wait, I need quarters? Uh oh, I put the colors in with the whites. Seriously, work this out before you get to school.
13. Find a friend with a car.
If your parents didn't let you bring your car to college with you for whatever reason, this is necessary. Sometimes, you'll need to get groceries, or you'll just want to go anywhere that isn't on campus because you feel a little trapped. The friend with the car will be your hero.
14. Don't cram for tests.
This isn't high school anymore, and that kind of study habit doesn't work in college. Plus, it's a lot easier to study for 20 minutes a day than to pull an all-nighter and probably bomb the test.
15. The library will be your new home.
There will be countless days where you wonder whether paying for a dorm room was even necessary since you basically just spend 24/7 in the library. But this is a good thing, you'll run into so many of your friends here it'll basically be a giant study party.
16. Those who are meant to stay in your life, surely will.
I know you will miss all of your high school friends and often wonder whether or not you'll still keep in touch when going off to college. But you'll quickly differentiate between who your true friends were and who you were only friends with because you saw them five times a week. The friendships that were meant to last, will.
17. Call your parents often.
You have no idea how much this will mean to them, and sometimes it'll be more beneficial for you than you might have thought. When you're feeling a little homesick, don't hesitate to talk to them, sometimes hearing them say "I love you" is all you really need.
18. Take lots of pictures.
Seriously. Take an overwhelming amount of photos. One day you are going to want to look back at these pictures and reminisce your freshman year.
19. Make unforgettable memories.
This is the first year of the beginning of your independent life. Make it memorable. Do things you never thought you would. Face your fears. Let down your guard. Prove yourself that you are smarter than you ever thought you were. Live every day as if its a new adventure, because it is. You don't want four years to fly by and not be able to tell any cool stories.
20. You are going to be okay.
College is not going to be easy. You are going to laugh, you are going to cry, you are going to make mistakes and you're not always going to have the grades you want, but you will be okay. This is so important to remind yourself of when you feel lonely or lost. College isn't always just a giant party and even though you'll be surrounded by people, its easy to feel alone. But these hard days will pass, and overall, college will be filled with far more ups than downs, so remind yourself that you can do it. Heck, you survived high school, now didn't you?
There is plenty more advice you should hear before entering your first year of college, but truly, some things are meant to be figured out on your own. And when that day comes, I have faith that you'll know exactly what to do. They aren't lying when they say college will be the best years of your life, so make full use of it and live adventurously. It goes by faster than you think.
On behalf of all of those who just finished their first year of college, good luck little freshman, you'll survive.
