The end of senior year flashed before my eyes. Before I knew it I was walking across the stage and receiving my diploma, and saying goodbye to my friends of four years of high school. The rest of that summer flew by and before I knew it I was saying goodbye to friends and family. I wouldn’t change the way my college experience started out, but I do have some advice to all of you incoming freshmen!
1. You don’t actually need everything on all those crazy lists.
Before you even get to college, you are going to have to pack everything you have and move it into a tiny dorm room. Space is limited, so you don’t actually need to have every single item in the college section at Target. I found a free college packing app (it's called College Packing List), and it allowed me to sort through the things I definitely would need, and the things that I most likely wouldn’t need. Also look ahead of time at the University rules and see what things you are allowed to have.
2. You are going to want to go to all the crazy welcome weekend events.
I had absolutely no intention of going to all the crazy events for the new freshman. However, my volleyball coach practically forced us to go to all of the events, and I am glad that I did go. I met a ton of new people, and made a few friends. And even the people that I didn’t become good friends with still became familiar faces. It is a lot easier to adjust to living in a new place if you know more of the people around you.
3. Go find your classrooms ahead of time!
I should have done this one. I was late to my first college class because I went to the wrong floor. Nothing is more embarrassing than walking in late to your first college class with all new people staring at you as you walk in. So really, take the time in your first day on campus to find your classrooms. Or at least wake up a half hour early on your first day of classes and allow plenty of time to find the right room.
4. Get organized.
College is nothing like high school. You have assignments due at different times, and some have to be turned in by the next class period, and some have to be done online and submitted by a certain time. Find some way of organizing yourself, whether it’s a calendar in your dorm, or a planner that you take with you to class, you have to find a system that works for you. Professors most likely won’t be as understanding as some of your high school teachers, so late assignments are not going to be tolerated. Nothing kills your GPA like being disorganized and forgetting to turn things in on time.
5. Try to not go home until Thanksgiving break.
You are going to get a bit homesick, but it is extremely important to adjust to being away from your family. It makes it a lot harder if you are constantly going back and forth between home and school. My father had heart surgery in October of last year, and I found myself going home a little too often before his surgery because I was so worried. Even though I wanted to spend time with my dad, it tore me apart coming home and then having to go back to school. So take my advice, and definitely keep in contact with your family, but try to not go home too often in the first months of being at college. It will only make your adjustment that much harder.
6. Branch out of your comfort zone.
Go meet new friends, join a few clubs, go to football games and other sporting events, go on a a few dates and make some great memories. You now have almost complete freedom so use it to your advantage and branch out and try things you wouldn’t normally try. College is the perfect time you get to re-discover yourself, so go make the most out of it.
7. The freshman fifteen is not a myth.
As soon as I found the ice cream in the cafeteria, I knew that I was going to struggle to keep fit. Being a college athlete helped me to keep the pounds off, but even though it was minimal, I still gained a few unwanted pounds. When you have unlimited access to pizza, pasta, ice cream, and every other unhealthy option, you are going to put on weight if you don’t watch it. Make sure you make the time to exercise regularly because it will have a tremendous impact on your health.
Your college years will be some of the best years of your life, so embrace them and have fun! These are just some of the things I learned that helped me to adjust better to living away from home, so I hope they help you too!
