Freshman year of college is a wild ride. I remember how overwhelming everything was. What classes should I take? What clubs should I join? Should I get a job on campus? What should I pack? Will I fit in? These are all valid questions; they are certainly all questions that I remember asking myself.
There is one question, however, that I did not initially consider: How much is too much? I went into my first semester of freshman year taking nineteen credits, including a 400 level course I thought would make me look good but was not particularly interested in. The closest thing I had taken to a college course up to that point was a few AP classes back in high school. I remember feeling as if I was drowning in the course load, but I was too proud to drop a class. I thought if I did that I would be a failure. So I silently struggled, denying that it was all just too much for me.
It was weeks before I finally admitted I needed to make a change. I missed the cutoff date for dropping classes without a fee, so I had to pay to drop one of the classes I did not need for the degree I was working toward. I had wasted weeks of time and energy trying to keep up with everything, and stressing out because I was struggling so much.
My advice to incoming freshman is this: know your limits. There is no shame in realizing you have a little too much on your plate. Do what is best for you- no one will think any less of you (and if they do that is their problem, not yours). You are paying for your education, so you have the right to call the shots. Don't be intimidated by others doing more than you. Don't compare yourself to everyone else. You are different than everyone else, and that is a wonderful thing.
You probably have a million thoughts and ideas running through your brain about what you want college to be. There is so much to experience, explore and enjoy. You want to do it all, and don't worry, you will. You have time. Take a step back and breathe. If you have a list of things you want to accomplish/do your freshman year, take them on one by one rather than jumping into them all at one time. Just enjoy each moment, because it will go by faster than you would even believe.