I realized a lot during my first year of college. I learned a lot about myself, and not every lesson was easy to learn. In hopes that I make it easier for some incoming freshman, here are some important lessons I learned:
Don't let anyone's opinions define you.
During my first year of college, I was very sensitive about what other's thought of me. I always made sure to post pictures to show how much fun I was having, even if that meant not having fun because I was too busy taking pictures. I was constantly trying to impress people, and if anyone had any sort of negative opinion of me it would ruin my day. I was really bad at letting anything go. After a year of this, though, I realized that I was spending too much time deciding how to live my life based on what other's would think of me. Realizing I needed to stop doing that enabled me to become a happier person.
Sometimes people will say mean things about you, and they will be right.
College is about finding yourself. After a year of being at school, you'll realize how much you've changed. Unfortunately, those changes won't always be for the better. You'll most likely do some things you'll regret, and not everyone will stay silent about it. They won't be in the wrong for that. You'll need to hear what they say and use it to better yourself.
You will make mistakes.
Your college years are going to be turbulent, and you won't always know how to handle it. Sometimes you're going to mess up. I know I did. The thing is, you're going to fail more than you succeed for a long time, and that's okay. Taking some time to grow up and focus on becoming the best version of yourself is important, and even if you completely ruin a scenario, it's not the end of the world.
Change is inevitable.
No matter what you do, change is going to happen. Your major, your group of friends, and even your personality won't stay the same. I had a lot of trouble knowing how to deal with this, and my best advice is to just let change happen. Don't hold on to the past, don't stay stagnant, and let things go. You might lose a friend or become a different person, but that's not always bad.
What you're doing now defines your future.
I can not stress this enough: you need to study. The personal growth you are experiencing is important, but so are your grades. Letting change affect your GPA is normal, but don't fall too low. Remember, you are there to get a degree, even if it doesn't always feel like it.
Time heals all wounds.
If I could go back in time to my first semester and tell anything to myself, it would be that time fixes everything. I was going through a lot, and I focused too much on how I was feeling. I thought the stress was never going to end, but now I don't even think about the problems I faced then. Time allows you to distance yourself, and I promise you won't always be struggling. After a while, everything becomes easier.
