My dear little sister, you are starting college soon and that is a big deal! These next few years will be tough, but incredibly rewarding. You will experience many highs and lows; I hope in the end you can look fondly back at your college experience. But I am sure right now your mind is in a million places, trying to figure out what to pack or stressing about meeting new friends. I know what you are going through -- not long ago, I was in your shoes. Here are a few things I learned my first year at college, although I am sure you will learn much more on your own!
Don’t clutter your dorm room and eat healthy.
Moving into a dorm excites some people and exasperates others. Of course, you have meticulously planned out every detail of your new room -- I know, I checked your Pinterest page! It is important to make your room a comfortable place to relax; but in the end, all you really need are some posters and a string of Christmas lights. Less is more when it comes to dorms. Avoid buying all the gadgets and gizmos retailers try to make seem useful to sell to freshmen and keep clutter to a minimum for maximum efficiency. There is limited space in a dorm room, so stay away from Bed, Bath and Beyond!
Along with the dorm life comes cafeteria food, and to be honest, dorm food sucks after a couple months. Try and store some fresh fruits and veggies in your mini fridge, along with lots of midnight snacks for when the cafeteria is closed! Granola bars and soup cans are good for quick meals.
Surround yourself with positive people.
You are going to meet a lot of people your first few weeks, but the friends you meet may just be friends for convenience. Keep in mind you are all scared about being away from home for the first time, so it's common to latch on to some of the first people you meet. Slowly you will become more comfortable, and as you get involved on campus or off, you will meet people you get along with a lot more. Of course you may meet your best friend for life right off the bat, just be wise and surround yourself with people who build you up.
Now I only have one thing to say when it comes to love: don't date/sleep with that guy/girl down the hall that you meet the first week of school! We have all been there, and we all thought it was a good idea. Although you may be excited about the freedom as well as the proximity, you are going to meet so many amazing people around campus, off campus, at parties, at football games, in the trees, while biking, climbing, surfing, dancing; the guy/girl down the hall may seem cool initially, but don’t settle for the first person you meet that strikes your fancy. (There are many exceptions to this, but not dating anyone in your dorm is a pretty good rule of thumb!)
Pick two: good grades, sleep, social life.
Many people say that in order to do well in school and get good rest, you have to sacrifice your social life, or if you want a social life and good grades, you have to sacrifice sleep.But with good time management, you will be able to achieve academic and social harmony! I advise you to join a club or get involved with something on campus; at the same time, remember there are only so many hours in a day. Although it is important to find a niche (a cappella, improv, Spanish club, intramural sports, etc.), don’t spread yourself too thin.
You'll realize how much time and freedom you have, but with that freedom comes a whole lot of responsibility. Some days you may get to sleep in, adventure with friends or discover your hidden knack for salsa dancing. And other days, you will spend eight hours straight writing a research paper. That's college. Don't get too down when you have to spend a whole day doing homework/ Trust me when I say there will always be something fun the next day. And when it comes to parties, have a buddy and ALWAYS make a plan. People who care about you will want to see you get back to your room safely after being out.
You are going to have a great first year, I know it. I've watched you grow up into an amazing, talented, and accomplished young lady. If anyone is going to make the most of their college experience, it's you. No matter what shenanigans you get into, I am always a phone call away! I know you got what it takes, now you just have to believe that you do too.