Recently, I finished my freshman year and moved out of my dorm. There were tears, stress and awe towards how the heck we've all accumulated so much useless crap. Freshman year came and went quickly, even though, at times, it felt like it was going slower than cold molasses. There are some things that no one tells you about your first year of college, and here they are.
It flies by, so enjoy every single second. You'll miss it when it's gone. They're right, college is the fastest four years of your life.
The freshman 15 is 100 percent real, so go to the gym when you can. Don't drive everywhere and walk when you have the opportunity to.
Your roommate will be your best friend. I lived in a suite, and every one of them are really good friends, but my roommate will have a special place in my heart forever. She's my best friend and knows everything about me. I know it might be hard to get along with your roommate all the time, but at the end of the day, they'll make or break your college experience.
If you're an only child, be ready for a rude awakening. Living with other people can be tough, so prepare yourself for that. You'll be exposed to all kinds of different people that you might not have been usually.
You have to study. I'm not saying you have to pull all nighters every single day, but you should come back to your room from classes and review the notes from the day, to avoid cramming the night before a test. In high school, I barely had to study. In college, I thought it would be the same. I was wrong.
You might feel alone from time to time. And that's okay. It'll be rough to deal with, but as soon as you find your niche, you'll wonder how you could ever be without your people.
People change, and so will you. In the past, someone may have told you that people change, but you’ve never believed it. College gives people a brand new picture of life and a chance to start over. That girl that has been your best friend forever will change. She may surround herself with other friends. You are both in two different worlds. Maybe at a different school, or even at the same one, but you are in two different groups. You may stay friends and adjust to the change together, or sadly you may not talk anymore. I don't talk to a lot of my friends from high school, but when I do talk to them, it's like we never stopped talking. Those friends will always be by your side, and that's an important thing to learn.
Call your mom. I can't stress this enough. In high school, you two probably butted heads, but the second she leaves you in your dorm and goes back home, something changes. You're best friends. It's OK to call her crying, because has been through everything, literally everything. She is the best person for advice on friendships, boys, and that other thing we have to do in college, school. Besides, she can tell you who's a bad friend before you realize it.
FOMO (fear of missing out) is real. Get out of your comfort zone, and try something that you usually wouldn't. Get involved, you won't regret it.
Learn how to say no. It's OK to say no to going out in order to get some studying done, or to get caught up on your sleep. Don't stretch yourself too thin just for fear of missing out.
