It's finally here. You've graduated high school and you're ready to spread your wings for whatever adventures college sends your way.
As move-in gets closer though, you start to ask questions. What if I go to the wrong classroom? How do I know which professors to take?
What if I don't make any friends? Well, take a deep breath and relax because here is the freshman fifteen that you won't mind getting: 15 things that every freshman should know.
1. Orientation is Your Friend
Okay, so orientation may seem pretty lame. You have to play weird icebreaker games, and you somehow always end up paired with the guy that smells like fish and makes eye contact for just a *little* too long.
For real though, orientation is a great way to meet other freshmen that are just as uncomfortable and lost as your are (and you can always fake a sprained ankle to get out of meet and greet red-rover if you really need to).
2. Everybody Gets Lost Sometimes
At some point in their college career, everybody has gotten lost. Whether it was the first day of their freshman year or the middle of their junior year, every college student understands the struggle.
It's okay to ask for help, and nobody is going to look down on you for losing your way once or twice (or a thousand times).
3. Upperclassmen Can Save Your Life
This brings me to my second tip for survival. Ask upperclassmen questions. They've had to figure out all the in's and out's of campus, and they can give you a huge head start in figuring out how to navigate college. (The science building is on the left, don't eat the meatloaf in the caf, and don't talk to the boy in apartment D401.)
See? You're already learning things.
4. Don't Buy Books from the Bookstore
Bookstore prices are notoriously outrageous. Check amazon, chegg, bigwords.com, and literally everything else before you have to sell your soul to the campus bookstore for a life science book.
5. Be Nice to Your Parents
While it may be time for you to gain some independence and finally do all the things your parents wouldn't let you do (like getting that ~*sweet*~ tattoo of a dolphin on your left ankle), you should probably be nice to your parents.
As annoying as it may be, your parents know a lot of stuff. Most of the rules they have are because they really know what's best for you. Like that time when they wouldn't let you legally change your name to "Princess" when you were six.
Aren't parents great? Besides that, you want to keep on good terms in case you have to beg for money later in the semester, which you will. Trust me. Speaking of money...
6. It's Okay to be Poor
Don't worry, all your friends will be too! If you're expecting college to be a time of high-funds, you're probably going to be disappointed. Being on your own is expensive, but that doesn't mean you have to be miserable. There are tons of ways to have fun, even if you and your friends have a collective $3.84 to your names.
7. Go to Class
Some days, just getting out of bed seems like an olympic medal-worthy accomplishment. Without pressure from parents or teachers, it can be easy to just stay in bed (I mean, I DID just learn about the Second Punic War last semester.
I'd probably just fall asleep because I know all of the information anyways. I'd be doing them a favor by staying home so my snoring doesn't distract the other students that really need this lecture.)
Making yourself go to class is really important. You learn way more than you did in high school classes, and most professors will respect you for putting in the effort to come to their class even when you don't have to.
8. Don't Come to college for your "MR" or "MRS" degree
Some people come to college expecting to find their soul mate within their first week of school.
I hate to be the one to crush all of your "running across campus into each others' arms" dreams, but that probably isn't going to happen (unless your soul mate is that guy from orientation that smells like fish. In which case, I wish you two all the happiness in the world, and I apologize for making assumptions).
That doesn't mean you can't find love in college, it just should't be your main goal, and it probably won't happen right away.
9. Apply for Scholarships
A lot of the points on this list are about money because the college money struggle is SO REAL. You may think that your days of applying for scholarships are over when you start college, but you might be wrong. There are a lot of scholarships you can apply for after you've already started college that could mean the difference between real food and ramen noodles for a year. Worth it.
10. Be Friendly
Sometimes (read as "most of the time") you just feel like laying in your room and watching 4 seasons of Grey's Anatomy in one day, but if you want to have the best possible college experience, you're going to have to put away the binge-watching sweatpants and step outside to meet some new people.
The friends you make in college can last a lifetime, so it's worth postponing your completion of New Girl from one week to one month.
11. Try Stuff
When I say "stuff," I do not mean drugs. Or that dolphin tattoo. College is a time for new experiences. Get involved on campus, join groups, try things you haven't done before.
Try to say yes to things that would usually be outside of your comfort zone (for the love of all that is holy, not drugs or dolphin tattoos though).
12. It's Okay to Cry
College can be overwhelming sometimes. Everything is new and you're mostly on your own, probably for the first time in your life.
It's alright to call your parents and cry about literally everything sometimes as long as you wipe your eyes and get right back up afterwards (with the help of ice cream, obviously).
13. Suck Up to Your Professors
Do your work, show up to office hours to ask questions, compliment their hair, whatever it takes. Most professors are actually really cool, smart people and taking the time to talk to them about your academic career will really help you out.
And who knows, maybe they'll remember that time you told them you thought their frosted tips were *timeless* when they're grading your final.
14. Don't Forget Where You Came From
You'll meet a lot of new people in college and have a lot of great new experiences, but don't let it make you forget who you are. You don't need to become a new person to succeed in college, you just have to be yourself.
Your past is a big part of who you are, including your family (even your weird Aunt Agnes), your friends from home, and that horrible haircut you got when you were eleven, so don't try to hide it.
15. Remember You're Going to Be Okay
You've got this. There might be a few bumps along the road (like the killer speed bumps in the campus parking lots), but you're going to be alright. College is an amazing experience, and you're going to own it. Harry Styles even thinks you're amazing, and you can't really argue with that.
