Having a roommate... this is perhaps the most challenging part of moving to college for a lot of people, including myself. This was my main worry: how to share such a small space with someone new. For some people, having a roommate is terrible.

That is OK; that’s why there are RA’s or CL’s (as Baylor likes to say). However, for me, my roommate was amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed living with her this past semester. Having a roommate is doable, and I learned to be gracious and respect her space, and above all, to communicate when something is bothering me. Passive aggressiveness does not work when you live 5 feet away from someone.

Learning how you learn...it doesn’t matter how many AP classes you took in high school, the majority of college students do not feel prepared for what college consists of. The first few weeks of classes, there is an event every single night, and you live within a mile (or right down the hall) from all of your new best friends.

Finding the time to study is difficult, which is why a lot of students struggle during their first semester. Build relationships with your professors, set aside a few hours every day (including Friday and Saturday) to study and get work done, and mainly, set limits for yourself. It is so easy to get distracted and stray away from the reason you came to college, which is to get a degree.

Drinking from a sprinkler... those of you reading this that plan on attending Baylor (or that do attend Baylor) will get to know Dr. Burt Burleson. The first chapel, on the first day of classes, in my very first college class, Dr. Burleson said that during the first couple of weeks of college we get so much newness thrown at us that it can feel like we are drinking from a sprinkler.

Academics aside, this is a completely true statement. For many people, college is terrifying, or way too much fun, or both. Those first few weeks are exhausting, and all freshmen have to accept that this is their life now. Make the best of those weeks! It may be hard, but everyone adjusts and finds new parts of themselves, and above all – you will meet some of the most amazing people during that time.

The first semester of college is a rollercoaster, but embrace it, learn from it, and enjoy every minute of it. I left this semester with my GPA goal intact, incredible friends, a million memories, and a newfound faith in Christ that Baylor instills in each and every student. I cannot stress this enough: enjoy first semester, and work on finding yourself.

bjp