As a first-year college student finishing up my first semester I can truly say I could’ve never imagined having the last few months that I’ve had. In just four months, I feel like I’ve started a whole new life; the boy I thought I was going to marry doesn’t have my heart anymore, I have the most incredible friends, and I have a new home that I have to say I’m a little sad to be leaving for the holidays.
Your first semester of college will hit you like a whirlwind and change everything but my best advice is to let it happen. Embrace all the new things and all the new people and you’ll love it just as much as I do.
Starting college there’re lots of things to worry about: roommates, classes, missing home, getting fat, but honestly, no one has a perfect college experience. No matter who you are or what your situation is you’re gonna have little hiccup problems. Unfortunately, they’re inevitable but everyone has them. Even best friend roommates fight from time to time, even the A+ student can get a bad grade now and again, we all take L’s and have issues.
The first semester of college is all about finding out your routine. Don’t enroll in an 8 am if you know you’re gonna go out every night, if you’re a homebody probably don’t go to a school far enough away that you can’t come home every weekend- finding out what kind of student you are and how you want to spend your college experience is important. Make sure you stay true to what you want to do. This isn’t high school, if you just follow the crowd you won’t be happy.
You’re gonna feel like you’re living two separate lives, college really is a whole world of its own. But don’t forget your life at home is always waiting for you. Pick up the phone when your mom calls and don’t be rude to her when you do.
I hope you realize quicker than I did that eating alone in the dining hall isn’t weird, and not to skip meals just because they don’t fit into you and your friend's schedule. Don’t buy your textbooks until the class starts, after you’ve dropped several hundred dollars on them you’ll be disappointed to find out your professor might not even use it. Try to make an early habit of going to the library after classes-it’s good motivation to get work done. If you’re in your dorm room not really too busy, keep the door open maybe you’ll meet someone new passing by, or your best friend will pop her head in to say hi.
Every college freshmen does relatively the same thing, and makes relatively the same adjustments: but we all have such different college experiences- make yours a great one, make your home away from home the one you never want to leave.
