College can be an intimidating and scary time for people. Being away from home, meeting new people and learning to live on your own can leave you feeling vulnerable. It's hard at first, but with time, you'll get through it. And with that you'll realize that you can get through anything.
Learn your limits
Take it from somebody who has seen their fair share of people going overboard-it's not a pretty sight. It's totally OK to let loose, but don't test yourself. You're in a new place with people who don't know you just yet. Don't go out your first night and get blacked just because you can, it's not worth it. You'll upset the people around you and yourself. Once you get labeled as something, it's hard for people to forget about it. Keep that in mind, but have fun!
Get on top of your game
Don't slack on your grades. Don't kid yourself, it's not cool to have a 2.5 GPA in college. You'll soon come to realize that a lot of the things you want to do will be put on the back burner until you get your grades up. Want to play a sport? Want to join a frat/sorority? Don't fail out of all your classes. Also, try your hardest not to take an 8 a.m. You'll be telling yourself "Oh I get up for high school at 6:30 a.m. anyways, I can do it." Take it from someone who almost lost credit in an eight a.m. for showing up five minutes late each time, it's totally not worth it. Especially in the second semester when you'll be waking up before the sunrise. That being said, if you think you can take an 8 a.m., be wise and schedule classes afterwards. I once had an 8 a.m. and it was my only class of the day. Big mistake; I took a nap almost every time afterward and wasted half my day away.
Explore your new home
Being in a city is one of my favorite things about my school. There's so much to see on your campus, even if you're in a quaint little town in the middle of nowhere. Each school has its own little spots on campus or around campus that are just too cool not to experience. Take note of the little shops downtown, the cute cafe on the corner, the green space on top of a roof or a viewing window of your entire city. Spaces like these are found by accident. Go ahead and take some time to look at these places, you'll regret only ever knowing your campus to be for classes.
Don't be afraid to come out of your shell
You're a stranger to everyone else too. This is your chance to reinvent yourself. Be someone you've always wanted to be, because in college you'll find someone just like you. There are different groups of people in college so diverse, you'll be amazed. Coming into college I was known as the quiet girl. For all of first semester I sat with my mouth closed, fearing if I said the wrong thing then someone wouldn't like me. The "new" me wanted to be liked by everyone. I quickly found out that there's no fun in being liked by everyone. It took me a little while to figure it out, but I'm entering my sophomore year as the talkative one-someone I'd never seen as myself before. There's no room for judgement as a freshman in college-and if anybody does judge you, they're not worth your time. Don't waste your freshman year trying to fit in, because you'll find somewhere to fit in by just being yourself.
Take a leap
Try new things. Talk to new people in your class, try new food native to your new hometown. Embrace the newness of your life. Do something you've never thought you'd be doing in a million years. Hey, if you like it, that's great! And if you don't, then oh well, try something else. You're in college to find out what you want to do with the rest of your life. Don't be ashamed if you haven't figured it out yet. Don't feel afraid to switch majors halfway through the year. You're paying tuition-you may as well take full advantage of all the classes your school has to offer.
Balance your social and school life
Partying is fun, no doubt, but only when you're smart about it. There is nothing I regret more than staying up until 4 a.m. on a Thursday with classes the next morning. Sure, it was no 8 am, but I was fooling myself into thinking four hours of sleep was enough to start my day. There's nothing wrong with going out on weekdays, but be aware of your schedule. Don't stay up past 1 a.m. if you have an 8 a.m, etc. Parties die out at that point anyway, you're not missing anything fun, trust me. Also, don't go out unless you have all your work done. I've come back to my dorm at 7 a.m. after a night out just to finish my art project to hand it in at 3 p.m. that afternoon. It's doable, but not worth it. Plan ahead of time. Odds are you won't have a big paper due the next day like Hollywood portrays, but make sure your tiny assignments, such as journal entries or math worksheets, are done on time.
Don't stress over the small things
I'm talking generalized. School work, social life, dorm life, just relax. I'm almost always chilled out, but there's been some times that I've needed to stop and tell myself not to sweat the small things. Don't get annoyed at your roommate for taking a long shower, odds are it won't happen again. Don't freak out over people yelling and having fun in the hallway (unless it's 1 a.m. on a weeknight, go tell their asses to shut up and get some sleep). There's solutions to these problems that you might not think of unless you take a deep breath and relax. It's the trivial things that get us so riled up, when in reality, they do the least damage. Just get into a more relaxed mindset and you'll already be one step ahead of most.
Learn to be patient
Odds are you haven't roomed with a complete stranger before. Even if you have, you'll know that no two people are the same and it takes some time to learn to live with them. Patience is key. If your roommate is doing something you don't like, please don't be afraid to tell them! One of the biggest mistakes people make when first living with someone is they're too afraid to be confrontational in fear that their roommate will get mad and not be their friend. Yes, it's ideal to be friends with your roommate, but it's more ideal to live in an environment where you're both comfortable. That being said, don't get mad when your roommate confronts you about something you do. Do not take it to heart! Can't stress this enough, there's always a solution to the problem, and even if you both can't come up with one, your RA will have no problem talking it out with you.
Experience all your school has to offer
Go out, be involved, take pride in your school. One of my best friends once told me, "if you aren't excited to go back to school at the end of summer, you picked the wrong school". Get excited to be there! Go to events your school holds, whether it be a BBQ. ice cream social, etc. (free food is always around on campus). One of my biggest regrets of freshmen year was not attending as many sports events as I could. My school has a big football and basketball team, and all though I went to a few basketball games, I only went to one football game, It was so much fun. If your school is offering these events for you, free of cost, grab a few friends and check it out. If you end up not liking whatever it is, at least it was free and you know now to check out some new things on campus.
Make connections
Whether they be professional or not, college is all about making connections. You wouldn't believe the amount of times I've heard, "Oh, you're an architect major? My dad/uncle/mom/aunt is one!" Not only is this a connection to make friends with someone new, but you can also use their family members as a head start in your profession. That being said, don't be friends with someone solely over the fact that they know someone who works as something you'd like to be. Not only will you find random connections through friends, but also through your specific school. Being an architect major, I spend most of my time in (you guessed it) the architecture building. Throughout the week the building is a host to lectures from some profound architects in the area. Although I'm not quite old enough to be getting an internship out by my school, I know to use these lectures to my advantage. Not only do these people give great words of wisdom, but they're not afraid to talk to you/email you after the lecture is over. Also, pay attention to your teachers. One of my professors was on the board of architects for building the world's tallest building in Dubai. I got to work one on one with this professor, taking in everything he said. He made my love for my major grow 10 times more. The comparison to him teaching me rather than an amateur working out of an office, really made a big difference.
Freshman year is without a doubt a time to have fun and explore new things. It can be scary and you may miss home at first, but trust me, you'll end up never wanting to leave.
