An open letter to incoming freshmen, don't be afraid. Come into college with an open mind. This will be the first time that you live on your own, make your own decisions, and experience freedom. You'll have some of your worst days, and your best days, but these next four years will be great. Even if you hated high school, wasn't the most popular, or had some bad history, none of that will matter upon entering college. College is great, your life is a blank slate and if you were ever unhappy before, this is your chance to turn that around and recreate something you are happy with. Here's a few things you should consider doing upon entering your first year of college.
1. Join a club or team.
No matter what it is you decide to join, do something that interests you. This will be one of the fastest ways to make a group of friends. Pick a club that interests you and instantly you will meet people that enjoy some of the same things as you. It may be nerve wracking for the first few days to approach someone new and ask questions, but don't be shy. Joining a sports team is also a really easy way to make friends. Your teammates will be the ones who you hang out with for 2+ hours every day. Through practices, games, or club meetings, these people will become some of your closest friends throughout your years in college.
2. Be outgoing.
Coming into college you may be nervous about what these next four years will have in store for you. As long as you get out there in the college community and be proactive, these next four years will be some of the best of your life. If you ever get a chance to go out, go. If someone asks you to hang out, do it. Don't be afraid to take chances.
3. Don't go home on the weekends.
If your campus allows freshmen to bring cars, don't use your car to go home every weekend. College is about living on your own and experiencing new things. Although your home may seem like a safe and comfortable environment, there's so much that you are missing out on during the weekends at college. The weekends are the best time to go out and meet new people. That doesn't mean you have to go out and drink every weekend, but sometimes some of the best weekends are sitting in your dorm rooms watching movies with your girlfriends. Don't. Drive. Home. Break out of your comfort zone and try something new!
4. Don't be shy.
Take it from me when I say that transition might be the worst week of your life. You have to be put through awkward icebreaker games and it's the first time you have to share a room with a stranger. If you're not good at conversations (like me), don't fear. This week will be over before you know it, trust me. In the meantime, use this opportunity to make new friends. College is a new slate, a new beginning. No one knows anything about your past or about what happened in high school, this is a time to recreate yourself into the person you want to be. So take chances, talk to new people.
5. Exercise.
If you played sports in high school and don't plan on playing a sport in college, stay active. Every once in awhile go for a run or rent out your schools bikes and go for a ride. I'm lucky enough to go to a school residing on a lake. My friends and I like to ride bikes by the lake or take a hike in nearby creeks and streams. My school also offers swimming, canoes, kayaks, and paddle boards to take out on the lake as well as a ropes course. If your school offers cool opportunities like this, take full advantage! This is also a good activity to do with new friends and a good way to get motivated to not gain the freshman 15.
College will be one of the best times of your life and it's here at college where you will find yourself and find your true, forever friends.
