A Letter To The Second Semester Freshman | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

A Letter To The Second Semester Freshman

First semester may have been a bit rough, but second semester is a chance to change that.

541
A Letter To The Second Semester Freshman
https://az616578.vo.msecnd.net/files/2018/01/16/6365171830340719932076831325_Untitled%20design.jpg

So if you're reading this article, congratulations! you made it passed your first ever semester in college. However, it wasn't all fun and games to get there. It took work, lots of crying, and tons of support to get where you are now as a person. Let me tell you, as a second semester freshman that wasn't easy.

Just in my first semester alone I learned that college is not what my high school teachers made it out to be. I was told it would be the hardest thing I had ever done in my life. What I learned is that although college is challenging, it's not nearly as hard as how high school teachers make it out to be. The part that makes college hard is time management. When it comes to either reading that chapter or binge watching the newest season of Grey's Anatomy, I would much rather binge watch Grey's Anatomy than read a 50 page chapter for General Chemistry, but to make the grades I want, I'm going to read that chapter because it's more important than figuring out . I'm going to work hard to get the grades I want so I can go far in life. Everyone says C's get degrees, and yes, it may be true but your ultimate goal is to get A's and B's so you can get the best career after college possible.

I also learned that your roommate may not be the nicest person in the world. Sure, movies about college project your roommate as being your best friend in the whole wide world, being the maid of honor at your wedding, and even the godmother of your children but that reality is often not true. Sometimes your roommate will be the kind that comes from those stories you read on Tumblr and Reddit, and sometimes they won't. Sometimes they'll act nice to you at points and then be entirely rude to the rest of your friends, you, and your boyfriend. Whatever your situation is, it's all in the past now. You're a better person for it, and you have the willpower to rise above it. So don't be afraid to go out and make friends that will better you as a person and encourage you to do great things.

And for you girls who hate the idea of dating in college because guys are immature, don't hate it. I was in your shoes at the beginning of the semester myself. I went on several dates with guys that ended rather badly and I kept asking myself if this is how college was going to be. Little did I know that the guy perfect for me was a boy I was friends with throughout high school. Although our first date was a little rocky, he's definitely made up for it since then. We've happily been together now for nearly four months and I wouldn't change a single thing about it. Sure, I met him in high school, but college grows you as a person. My advice is to look deep within yourself and ask what you're looking for in a partner before you swipe on that guy from Tinder, and then sit down and have some quality time with God about it. I assure you, taking time to pray and ask God for help will do wonders. It may not be immediate results in your love life, but I promise he's got a plan that you need to trust in. Who knows? Maybe that guy you sit next to in your math class might be the man of your dreams. Go for it!

The biggest thing, and the last thing I had learned was the concept of going outside of my comfort zone. In high school, I was always the nerdy band geek whose idea of a good time was eating Chipotle in my best friend's basement, playing The Sims 3, and rewatching High School Musical for the fifteen millionth time. In college, I decided to join a professional all female pharmacy fraternity and be involved in lifegroups in my dorm. These were the best decisions I have ever made. I had met people of faith who were on the same path as me and who all support me in daily struggles of college classes. As for my all female fraternity I am now a proud sister of, I made it successfully through rush week, I received a bid, and then I was initiated as a sister a month later. Crazy right? During my time rushing I met up for coffee with some upperclassmen who told me that they too were like me and scared to leave their comfort zone as freshmen in college. However, they also told me that being in such a fraternity made them less frightened and more willing to open up to new people and new experiences they may not have beforehand. So be willing to try new things in addition to the old ones. I promise you, the experiences are definitely rewarding.

So to the second semester college freshman, learn from the mistakes you made first semester and move on. You're a better person now and take pride in that. Go forth and make second semester your semester.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
ross geller
YouTube

As college students, we are all familiar with the horror show that is course registration week. Whether you are an incoming freshman or selecting classes for your last semester, I am certain that you can relate to how traumatic this can be.

1. When course schedules are released and you have a conflict between two required classes.

Bonus points if it is more than two.

Keep Reading...Show less
friends

Whether you're commuting or dorming, your first year of college is a huge adjustment. The transition from living with parents to being on my own was an experience I couldn't have even imagined- both a good and a bad thing. Here's a personal archive of a few of the things I learned after going away for the first time.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

Economic Benefits of Higher Wages

Nobody deserves to be living in poverty.

300413
Illistrated image of people crowded with banners to support a cause
StableDiffusion

Raising the minimum wage to a livable wage would not only benefit workers and their families, it would also have positive impacts on the economy and society. Studies have shown that by increasing the minimum wage, poverty and inequality can be reduced by enabling workers to meet their basic needs and reducing income disparities.

I come from a low-income family. A family, like many others in the United States, which has lived paycheck to paycheck. My family and other families in my community have been trying to make ends meet by living on the minimum wage. We are proof that it doesn't work.

Keep Reading...Show less
blank paper
Allena Tapia

As an English Major in college, I have a lot of writing and especially creative writing pieces that I work on throughout the semester and sometimes, I'll find it hard to get the motivation to type a few pages and the thought process that goes behind it. These are eleven thoughts that I have as a writer while writing my stories.

Keep Reading...Show less
April Ludgate

Every college student knows and understands the struggle of forcing themselves to continue to care about school. Between the piles of homework, the hours of studying and the painfully long lectures, the desire to dropout is something that is constantly weighing on each and every one of us, but the glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel helps to keep us motivated. While we are somehow managing to stay enrolled and (semi) alert, that does not mean that our inner-demons aren't telling us otherwise, and who is better to explain inner-demons than the beloved April Ludgate herself? Because of her dark-spirit and lack of filter, April has successfully been able to describe the emotional roller-coaster that is college on at least 13 different occasions and here they are.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments