Dear Incoming Freshman,
It’s August, which means you’re only a couple weeks away from beginning a new and exciting chapter of your life. You’ve been anticipating move-in day since your college visit last fall, when you completely fell in love with the campus you would soon be calling home. While you anxiously wait for these next couple weeks to go by at home, make sure you appreciate what it feels like to still be living there.
The night before you move to college will be your last night living at home. Just let that sink in for a moment. Never again will you be living at home, surrounded by everything that is too familiar to you. Instead, you’ll be coming home and staying temporarily—for breaks, weekends, and hopefully another summer or two. Appreciate your full size bed while you can (those twin XLs just don’t cut it when you want to sprawl out while binge-watching Grey’s Anatomy). Snuggle up next to your dog whenever you have the chance, because not having him with you in the dorms will be a big change. Most of all, spend as much time with your family as you can. You’re going to get homesick, but so will the majority of other freshman. Just know that calling your mom, even if it’s just for 5 minutes, can make you feel so much better when you’re missing home.
Make sure to pack all of your stuff the night before you’re planning to leave for move-in day. Otherwise, you will be waking up super early and be stressing out because you’re afraid you’re going to forget something (you probably will forget something anyways, but that’s what Walmart & care packages are for). Just be organized and have an idea where you want things to go in your dorm room. I’m not going to lie, move-in day is very hectic. You’re gonna be nervous, make 10 trips to Walmart and rearrange your room way too many times. It’s a very exciting day, but that’s just the beginning.
During your first few days on campus you will say your name, hometown and major so many times that you wish it was just written on your forehead. But you’re also going to meet so many new people and make a bunch of new friends. Many of these people you might not stay close with, but it’s nice to see familiar faces around campus. More than likely, you’re going to meet somebody who will become one of your best friends. You’ll discover that you have so much in common with this person, that you can’t believe you lived 18 years of your life without them. You’re going to miss your high school friends and your friendship with them will change, but they will always remain your friends. So try and see them every so often when you go home on the weekends, because chances are that they miss you, too.
You’re going to have so much fun and learn many lessons during your first few weeks as a college freshman. You’ll join clubs, figure out what food to avoid in the cafeteria and realize that World Geography isn’t as easy as you thought it would be. People aren’t lying when they say that college is one of the best times of your life. You will discover who you really are, and realize that there is a big world of possibilities waiting for you after you walk across the stage in 4 years.
If you’re going to remember one thing from this, please remember to just be you. Don’t try to impress people or pretend to be somebody that you’re not. Don’t go out and drink just because you think it’s “what all of the college kids do.” You still have morals and your faith, so don’t let that waver just because you’re in college.
You are smart, you are going to be successful and you are going to have a great freshman year.
Sincerely,
A junior who understands how you’re feeling right now.
