Dear Freshman,
This year is going to be one of the most enjoyable, interesting, and eye opening years of your life. But it flies by. College flies by. I am a senior nursing student, and today, I applied for graduation. Looking back to where I was four short years ago, I could hardly imagine graduating, much less getting accepted into the nursing program or passing all of my classes. The entire process can be scary, frustrating, and others make it seem intimidating. Don’t let that happen! Here are a few bits of wisdom that I wish I had known going into college.
1. Don’t listen to those people who convince you to freak out about the future.
We’ve all heard them—“if you think this year is bad, just wait!”, “you will have so much homework, you won’t even have a life!”, “if you want to pass your classes, you will have to stay up til 3am most nights, pull a few all-nighters, and probably be seriously addicted to coffee.” These people are just trying to scare you and look tough because they are upperclassmen and you are not. While it is true that some people do pull all-nighters and drink loads of coffee to stay alive, it doesn’t mean you have to. I am a senior and I have never pulled an all-nighter just to study, and I wouldn’t recommend it. If you manage your time well, you can live a balanced life and still have time for fun and friends, but you will have to make sacrifices. Prioritize what’s most important to you, and you will find the time!
2. Establish your priorities.
When I first started college, a lot of people told me that I wouldn’t be able to do my sport and nursing, that I’d have to pick one over the other, that it would be too much blah blah blah. Looking back, I was so overwhelmed at the time with all of my school and sports responsibilities that I didn’t know if I really would make it. Now, I am still going strong in school and running. It’s not about having the time but making the time. If there is something that you really want to do, then you’re going to have to make sacrifices. Don’t get bogged down with things that distract you from your goals, if you want it badly enough than you can achieve it!
3. Make friends!
I know this sounds obvious, but your freshman year is the time when you really start to develop those relationships that will carry you through college and for the rest of your life. Make sure you are surrounding yourself with people that lift you up, encourage you, and that you can truly be yourself around. College is not the time to worry about popularity or cliques or social status. It does not matter who your friends are as long as they support you and help you to be the best that you can be.
4. And don’t forget your family!
As a college freshman, it is easy to want to gain as much distance as possible from your loved ones simply because you need that freedom and independence.This is a natural, healthy thing, yet don’t let it separate you from those that value and cherish you the most. As wonderful as friends can be, no one knows you better than the ones who raised you and with whom you grew up. So call home every once and a while, and stay close to your roots. You may find as you move through college that you need their support more than anything.
5. Stop and smell the roses.
While it is important to keep the end goal in mind (getting your college degree, then getting a job/grad school), don’t forget to enjoy the journey! It is so easy to get into a mindset of “I can’t wait to get this over with and get out into the real world, I’ll be so much happier when school is over!” However, this distracts you from the awesome things that are happening in your life right now. College is a time of much personal growth, fun, and good times. It is definitely hard, but don’t miss out on all the great things that come with it! Sometimes the toughest of times can be the most memorable when you have great friends by your side.
6. Don’t regret your regrets.
You are going to make mistakes, and that is O.K. If you never mess up, then you never really grow. Mistakes are nothing to be ashamed of because they make you who you are.
7. Don’t lose sight of who you are.
College is a time of finding who you are, who you want to become, and what you want to do with your life. Often, people search for a new identity or are finding themselves in the midst of parties, new social scenes, friend groups, and lectures that challenge their ideologies. Don’t lose sight of who you are. College is not the time to give up all of your beliefs, values, and morals. While it is good to keep an open mind and learn all you can about the world, it is more important to stay true to yourself. In college, you will find yourself challenged mentally, socially, and spiritually. People will make you want to change your life and the way you do things. Sometimes this can be a good way to grow. However, if you are not being true to yourself, your life will not feel right. Don’t let others tell you what to believe or how to live. In the words of William Shakespeare, “to thine own self be true.”
