Dear Incoming Freshman,

Once any student commits to a college, they immediately check social media to see what their new life is going to look like. They begin to follow, on Instagram, the sororities and fraternities they are interested in as well as other students who have committed to the school. Girls even follow each other to get an idea of what to wear and what new clothes they will need to buy. Before coming to college, people have an expectation of what their life is going to be like. Not only does social media create unrealistic expectations, but so do movies and TV shows. These visuals implement the idea that college is supposed to look a certain way: the perfect sorority, the perfect group of friends, the most insane game day, the perfect boyfriend, the perfect Instagram and ultimately the perfect life. I, myself, had some of these expectations before coming to school and I have realized that this was an unrealistic way to go about my freshman year. Ultimately, you should have no expectations.

The thrill of freshman year is the constant uncertainty. It is through experiencing the unknown that we all mature and grow up. However, if you have an expectation of what your life is supposed to be like, it is impossible to go through this natural process. College is meant for messing up and making wrong turns. You need to lower or rid yourself of expectations in order to be guided in the right, natural direction.

Not only are no expectations needed in your freshman year as a whole, but they are specifically not needed in your social life. You cannot meet someone and immediately expect them to be your best friend. College is truly meant to be taken day by day and any unrealistic expectations will deter you from the reality right in front of you. It is also an unrealistic expectation to think that the first guy you meet is going to be THAT college boyfriend that your mom always talks about. By lowering your expectations, you are removing the possibility of being hurt by your new friends. If you think about it, you guys have not even known each other for a full year. So why have such high expectations?

Ultimately, it is very hard to rid our minds of the thoughts of what college should be like. However, the reality is that each day is a new adventure with a new opportunity for maturation. It would be only harmful to yourself to instill this image of “typical college” when you approach your freshman year. Instead, keep a clear head, with no expectations, and enjoy the journey. Cry in the moment and laugh at your mistakes. Enjoy every second of the unknown because before you know it, it is gone. Soon this one year of the unknown is going to become a pattern that repeats itself each year and becomes your life.

Sincerely,