Freshman year has been easily the craziest part of my life so far. Being over 2000 miles away from home has taught me a lot, both about myself and how "the real world" works. You're really forced to upend everything you knew up to this point and redefine yourself in a lot of ways. With that being said, here are the three lessons that I've learned from my freshman year.
1. Put Yourself Out There
In high school, a lot of things are given to you, whether that be lenient teachers or getting special treatment from administrators. Part of coming to a new setting like college is understanding that you have to earn everything here.
Most of the people here won't know who you are and because of that, you'll be forced to start from the ground up. The most important factor is building relationships and putting yourself out there. Putting yourself out there can mean a lot of things which include going to check out all the on-campus organizations(yes all), you'll think you'd be interested in and going to office hours that your professors have.
Most people in college will be willing to talk and listen to you if you are too.
2. Prioritize School
When you get to college, one of the most overwhelming things to deal with is the amount of free time you'll have. Gone are the days where you're at school from around 8-3 every day with the same teachers day in and day out. Because of the newfound freedom, you'll feel as though you can always make time for school later.
That's the first step to all-nighters. If you'd like to avoid those, I'd personally suggest starting your homework and looking over readings earlier to spread out your work rather than try to cram everything in one night.
Just because you're out of high school doesn't mean your GPA isn't important anymore. Some companies have minimum requirements for internships and jobs and if you want to go to graduate school at some point, you need to ensure your GPA is high enough to make yourself a competitive applicant.
3. Have Fun
No matter how you live in college, the common denominator is that we're all stressed. School, work, and social life combined create a world where there's so much to do and not enough time to do it all. That's why it's so important to have fun.
Find people who share your interests and do the activities that you are all passionate about. Go out with friends, meet new people, whatever it is that keeps you happy. It's the best way to deal with the overwhelming lifestyle that college demands and where you'll often make the best memories.
