To the Incoming Freshmen,
You've probably been enjoying your first weeks of summer as a high school graduate. I'm sure you are making memories with your high school friend group and already dreading the moment that you will all have to go your separate ways to college. I know you are nervous about what is to come next year, but I am here to tell you that everything is going to work out and your first year of college is an experience that you will never forget.
Many of you have probably already been to orientation at your schools and have made new friends and are eager to start the year ahead. But don't rush the summer. Don't waste away your time with your high school friend group wishing for your move in day to come faster. Spend time with your parents this summer because you will miss them once you get to school and are alone in your dorm. Enjoy the home-cooked meals because even though dining hall food can be very good, nothing is the same as a warm meal from your parents.
Your first week at school will be a whirlwind. You will want to go to all the freshmen welcome week activities, make friends, try all the food and explore your new college town. Slow down. Take it all in and enjoy being a freshman at your new school. You have four years to experience your college town so there is no need to rush into anything. It is important to break out of your comfort zone and explore your interests. College is a time to be who you want to be and to find out more about yourself.
Making friends will occur at different times. You will meet a lot of people at orientation and during welcome week, but many friends will come from unexpected connections. Your chemistry lab partner could become your best friend for your whole college experience and beyond or maybe a member of a student club you joined. Embrace these hidden friendships because they could be one of the best parts of college.
Separating from your high school friend group will teach you who your true friends are. The friends that you keep in touch with throughout your first year of college are friends that will last forever. Sometimes visiting your high school friends at their schools can be a good way to reconnect and share memories from your time at school.
Even though you are going to school to maybe reinvent yourself, it is essential to stay true to who you are. You will be so much happier once you decide to be happy with your true self. Trying to change yourself for others can make you one day realize that you are not the person you want to be and are not living your own life.
So, to the new freshmen, I promise that college will be the time of your life. Finding a good balance between your new life and your home life will make your college experience better than you can imagine. Break out of your comfort zone. Be who you are and make your first year of college the best it can be.
Sincerely,
Someone Who Has Been There
