An Open Letter To Incoming Freshman

Looking back on my freshman year of college, there are a few things I wish someone had told me. I wish someone had told me not to be afraid; not to be afraid of trying new things, not to be afraid of meeting new people, and not to be afraid of getting out of my comfort zone. I wish someone had told me that my expectations for college were not accurate. I don't mean this in a bad way, I love college actually. I just wish I would have known to have an open mind during my first year. Most importantly, I wish someone would have told me to appreciate my first year more than I did.

I don't regret anything about my college experience so far as a whole, I just wish I had done a few things a little differently. My point is this: don't take the time you have been given for granted. Of course, there's always going to be that one professor who gives you a hard time, that one roommate who drives you absolutely insane and that one research paper that you just can't ever seem to finish. These things happen to everyone. Don't freak out about it, and don't let it put a damper on your first year in a new place.

College is the time when you try to figure out who you are. The good thing is, everyone else is doing the same thing. We're all here to figure out who we are, what we want to be and how we want to live. This is the fresh start you've been waiting for, so please don't waste it. This is the time for you to reinvent yourself. Try a new hairstyle, buy some new clothes or maybe get a new pair of glasses. Whatever you want to do, now is the time to do it.

Another thing to keep in mind is that everyone else is new as well. You shouldn't be afraid to talk to people and try and make new friends, because everyone else is just as new here as you are. Join a new club. Try a new extracurricular that you never would've tried in high school. Make college the place where the new you is born and can thrive.

Whatever you imagined college would be like, don't be surprised if you are a little disappointed. College isn't ALL parties all the time, but it's also not living in the library 24/7 (OK, maybe during finals week but not all the time). The media portrays college in a very stereotypical way, but in reality, everyone has their own unique experience, and that's the beauty of it.

Just try and keep an open mind when it comes to new people, experiences, foods or whatever the case may be. Try and make the most of your first year of college, and never forget that you can be whoever and whatever you want to be.