I have been a student at Northeastern University for exactly four years now and wow, they are not kidding when they say time flies. Luckily, since I am #blessed and attend a college with a five-year program, I still have one more year to get the ~*college life*~ out of my system. Here are some of the things I have learned thus far.
Your homework can wait.
Don’t take this one too literally, academics are definitely important. Please do your homework, but also know that there are more important things in life. When you look back at your college career, l promise that you are absolutely not going to remember the majority of things you learned in the classroom. You will, however, remember the good times you had with your friends. Try to not let the stress you feel from school stop you from connecting with people and sharing experiences with them.
The friends you have freshmen year will probably not be the same friends you have when you graduate.
If you're feeling alone and like you haven't really clicked with anyone yet, just know that you are surrounded by people who feel exactly the same way. It is very difficult to truly connect with people in just your first year at school. For the most part, with the exception of a few gems, these are your temporary friends. They are the ones you will wander around campus looking for frat parties with. They are your roommates, they are the people who live across the hall, they are the people you are friends with because they are the only people you really know. As you move forward with your college career, and further involve yourself in your college (which I highly recommend) you will be exposed to so many more people. You will connect with people on a real level, and hang out with them because you want to, not just because they live in your dorm. And, if you're lucky like I was, you will eventually get an incredible group of friends who will make you realize what you had been missing. These are the people that you will do karaoke at the bar with, go to brunch with on Sunday morning, have nicknames for, share everything with, and who will love you and support you no matter what. Sometimes, you will even live in the same apartment building as 19 of them. So, if you don't have a squad of best friends the minute you get to campus, don't stress, they will come. This brings me to another very important note...
Do not believe every stereotype you hear about Greek Life.
Some of those best friends I was talking about came into my life as a result of joining a sorority. Before joining, I wholeheartedly believed every stereotype I had heard about Greek Life. I told myself that I would never become a shallow girl who paid for her friends. I could not have been more wrong. I didn’t join my sorority until the second semester of my sophomore year, and my only regret is having not joined sooner. Greek Life gives you the opportunity to meet tons of new people, participate in a great deal of philanthropy, hold leadership positions, network, and more, all while having a ton of fun. As cheesy as this sounds, your sorority sisters (or fraternity brothers) can become your best friends, support system and your home away from home.
It’s okay to be single.
If you had a relationship in high school, it is possible that it will not survive your first year of college, and that is okay. This is a hard pill to swallow, but college is the time of your life when you will develop into the person you will be for the rest of your life. It is a time to grow, experience new things, meet new people, expand your mind and learn about yourself and the world around you. I am not implying that you can't do these things while in a relationship as well, because many people do. However, in my experience, it is easier to do this without a significant other. You have so much freedom and time to discover your passions, spend time with your friends, pursue your goals and have fun. Loving yourself is a wonderful thing, but it is not something that comes easy. Throughout college, there will likely be people who are going to knock you down and make you feel like you are unworthy of their attention. You will invest your time and energy into people who do not appreciate it. Eventually, you will come to rely completely on yourself for happiness. You will no longer give your attention to people who are unworthy of it, because you will be aware of your own self-worth. You have the rest of your life to be in a relationship, so take this time to be on your own and love every damn second of it.
Just go for it.
Most importantly, take full advantage of your college experience. The time will go by so fast and you will miss it more than you know. Do not miss out on all of the opportunities college has to offer. Put yourself out there and do not be afraid to take a step outside of your comfort zone. Take a class that you think might be too challenging for you. Join a club that you don't know anyone in. Explore your surroundings. Be open to new things, people and experiences. College is a roller coaster and not every moment will be amazing, but make sure you enjoy the ride.
