Freshman year of college was a huge transition for me from high school. I decided to attend an out-of-state university approximately 6 hours from my hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Before college, I always lived at home with both of my parents and my two younger (and super annoying of course) brothers. My mother usually always cooked, cleaned, did laundry, and took care of almost everything important in my life. My father took care of my financials and many other aspects of my life. I had no idea what I was about to encounter living on my own.
While having full freedom seems like the best thing that can happen to any high schooler trying to get away from their parents, it also comes with a lot of responsibility. From here on out everything that you do, every decision that is made, you are the person responsible for all of it.
During freshman year of college, I learned to do all my own laundry, clean my dorm and living area, go grocery shopping, and even take care of myself when I got sick! While some of these things seem like a drag or almost impossible for some kids, it all comes along with living on your own.
The workload was a huge difference, compared to high school. I was used to breezing my way through high school, barely studying for any classes and getting pretty decent grades. I was barely used to get any homework, and if I did get any I would complete it the morning before it was due.
Unfortunately, in college, this is not the case. I realized that very quickly after a few of my first exams, reviewing your notes from class an hour before the exam will not cut it for college exams. Earning a decent grade in a course will take hard work and dedication, with studying weeks prior to the exam. I definitely learned that one of the keys to success in college is to NOT procrastinate and stay organized, if not it will be hard to keep up with school work.
Time management is probably one of the main aspects of college that is the hardest to learn for most college freshmen. There are always going to be things to do, social events to attend, friends to hang out with, that seem much more entertaining than staying in a night at the library studying for a big exam. While these are some of the best years of your life, do not forget the main reason you are there is to earn a degree.
One of the best parts about college is that YOU get to choose your friends, the people you surround yourself with, and who gets to be in your "inner circle." It is not like high school, where you are stuck with the same people for years and years. There are so many different people, from different places and backgrounds, there is so much potential for you to meet the people that will bring out the absolute best of you throughout these four years- and the rest of your life!
Go out there and enjoy these college years, they will be over before you know it!
