It's the most wonderful time of year- college campuses everywhere are bustling with new freshmen.They wander the campus aimlessly in their high-school-dress-code-appropriate garb and fancy lanyards with the school logo and card holder. Then there's me, a washed up upperclassman, post freshman fifteen and spiritually drained. We were all them at one point, more ready than we should have been to experience college. Little did we know it was going to be completely different from what we saw on TV and in movies.
I was so young, so naive, so pure. I have been thrown into a sour reality. I am no longer new. It was fun while it lasted; getting invited to every party and social, getting banded at clubs for being cute, being able to act a fool with little to no judgement, and having copious amounts of free time. Let's look at the bright side- I have a completely new wardrobe because nothing fits anymore and I can run errands without boys trying to talk to me.
I may sound spiteful and jealous. It's because I am. I'm not ashamed either. College is quite a humbling experience. Think of it like this- you are an iPhone 4- slightly bigger and not as aesthetically pleasing- in a world of iPhone 6s'. It may sound like I am exaggerating, but I promise that I am not. The other day a freshman asked me who I was and I said "nobody". This is reality.
My advice for freshmen is to do everything you can and more, while still prioritizing your studies. Go to parties, tailgate,visit other schools on weekends, show your friends from other schools why yours is the best, join a club, and most of all- have a good time. Your freshman year is the only time where people will cut you some slack because they presume that you are inexperienced and naive. Don't be afraid to try new things. This is your first time having endless freedom. There will be nobody to tell you what you can or can not wear, when to wake up, or whether or not you can go out. In this time, you will find out what you like and dislike. You will learn who you are and discover your purpose.
For my fellow washed up upperclassmen, we should pride ourselves on how much we have grown and all that we have to look forward to. We are one step closer to the degree that we came here for and far wiser than we once were. At the end of the day, that is what this is all about. In the meantime, go ahead and see how long you can pull off the "I'm a freshman" line and if you get caught just laugh it off as a joke. We are all entitled to fun.
