In nine days, I will be packing up my little red car and driving 1,000 miles back to Los Angeles for my sophomore year of college. To be quite honest, I am a little confused as to when I became a sophomore, but alas, here I am, on the cusp of beginning my sophomore year, just as my little brother will start his freshman year 16.1 miles away at USC. I feel that it's a given that I would tell my brother and write about what I learned from my freshman year, but, so many are givens--go to class, don't lose your key, avoid all-nighters, and use your planner, etc. So, without further ado, the five most important things I learned from my freshman year of college.
1. Call your parents.
Do it. You might think you're an adult, moving away from home and all, but at the end of the day, sometimes the only thing that makes you feel better is a call from home. Also, if they are paying for your education, the least you can do is call them. And they are always right in the end. Finally, having them send you pictures of your pets at home is always a good way to make you feel better about whatever is going wrong in.
2. You will drift away from high school friends.
It's normal. It doesn't mean that you care about them any less, it's just that when you spend nine months out of a year away from them, it's inevitable that you will drift apart. My friends from high school are still incredibly important people in my life. I will always catch up with them when I am home on breaks. It was the first moment of winter break that I realized that I am living a different life than my high school friends. Most of my friends either go to BYU or University of Oregon, so they are still connected. They run in similar groups of people, still see each other often, etc. When I came home, I felt disconnected, like I was completely on my own. It freaked me out. I cried in a coffee shop about it once. But I realized that my experience was normal, that your world changes when you move 1000 miles away from home. You aren't a bad person. They don't think any less of you; life is just changing.
3. Be a part of something.
Two weeks into my second semester, I made the choice to go through Sorority Recruitment.
It was single handily the best choice I made my freshman year.
Most of my first semester was spent in my dorm room, watching crime documentaries. Not that it wasn't enjoyable, but I was very much a hermit. I had a few friends outside of my hall, but not many. By becoming a part of something, you are able to become bigger than yourself. Through Delta Zeta, I want to become a better person. My 192 sisters make me want to be involved, to become a leader, to be a better person. Through Delta Zeta, I gained two girls who are the older sisters I never had in my big and grand-big. As cliche as it is, I've met my life-long friends and my bridesmaids through Delta Zeta. Let's face it: I wasn't going to find my future bridesmaids watching crime documentaries.
4. Things will not go as planned, and that is okay.
I love planning. I love order and routine. I love predictability. College, however, does not lend itself to that. Most of my first semester was spent in sheer anxiety of things not going as I expected. I put this overwhelming pressure on myself to do everything right all the time. As a result, first semester consisted of many tears andmany mistakes. Coming into second semester, I took a more laid-back approach--which to many is still considered high-strung--and just let life take its course. My happiness grew exponentially. By no means did everything work out--friendships faded away, budding relationships didn't come through, not all of my classes were easy. However, by allowing myself to accept what life threw at me, I not only learned from the experiences, but I had more fun. By being more impulsive and allowing myself to fully dive into life, I became more invested in the friendships and community here at LMU. Going Greek was never in my four-year plan. Now I can't imagine my life without Delta Zeta. Being more open to life also leads to many more stories to tell in the future.
5. Be honest.
Being yourself is scary. Committing yourself to your views and values is terrifying. Being vulnerable is uncomfortable. However, by being who I am at this very moment in my life instead of who I was in high school, or who I thought people wanted me to be, I've never been so content with my life. College isn't about reinventing yourself; it's getting in touch with who you really are.
And bonus words of wisdom: Disneyland is always a good idea.
