Today, I started my first day of sophomore year (insert tears here), and today on my Facebook timeline it reminded me that a year ago today I moved into my freshman dorm. So much has happened within that year, and I can honestly say that I grew up more within the last year than I probably ever had within my whole life. Freshman year came with lots of realizations, lots of mistakes, and lots of memories. So, as I look back on this past year with my newfound sophomore knowledge, I have decided to compile some of my best advice for all the new freshman.

You may not be the smartest anymore.

When I was talking about realizations, this was one of the biggest. When I was in high school, not to toot my own horn, but I tended to be one of the smarter ones in the class. I worked incredibly hard in school and my grades showed it. This, obviously, is what got me into my dream college. However, once I got here, it was a weird thing to me that I wasn’t always one of the “smarter” ones or the “smartest” in the class. Everyone around me is super intelligent because they obviously had to work hard and have the grades to get into this school too. It’s hard to feel “average” and it wasn’t a feeling I had really experienced in the past. To any freshman who begins to feel this way, remember how hard you worked to get into college and how smart you had to be to get here. Never forget that you are intelligent and a hard worker, and that in the end it’s okay to not excel in the same way you did in high school.

Which leads me to my next point… College can be hard.

You’ve probably already heard this. College classes can be incredibly difficult. It’s not like high school where you can get away with missing assignments, and studying takes a lot more than just a couple hours of cramming. College classes can/will be exhausting but try not to let them get to you as much. Remember that a “bad” grade in college is not the same as a “bad” grade you received in high school, and know that even if you do poorly on an assignment or test that you are not a failure. It’s a cliché to say that “C’s get degrees.” While I really strive not to make a “C” in a class, it is true and important to remember that in college you truly need to just do your best and work toward getting your degree.

You’re going to be overwhelmed by how many people you meet.

I remember the first couple weeks of college vividly. I was participating in sorority recruitment, had just moved into a dorm with hundreds of other nervous freshmen, and was seeing new faces everywhere. It can be very overwhelming to remember the names of hundreds of people you’re meeting, but as the year goes on you’ll either become closer or drift away from these people you’re meeting. In my case, this all flowed very naturally and worked out for the best. I have made amazing friends in college, and quite honestly, I’m always surprised that I’ve only known them for a year. In the end, you’re all growing up together because not living at home is a little scary. When you’re not going home to your mom and dad everyday, you kind of make a new family with your friends. These connections I made with my friends are ones that I will never take for granted now, and we truly do rely on each other day to day for just about everything. I love having these friends to lean on, and am so glad that college brought them to me.

It’s going to be a trial and error process.

Let’s face it, this is pretty much your first time “adulting.” Living on your own can be kind of scary and overwhelming. You may not really understand how to do laundry, or how to take care of yourself in certain situations, but through mistakes you learn so much about how to carry yourself through them. I really did learn a lot by spending some time alone and reflecting on events, and would recommend that every freshman do this. While it’s great to stay busy and meet lots and lots of new friends, make sure you are taking some time for yourself so you don’t get too overwhelmed.

Lastly, there will be ups and downs.

I personally consider my freshman year as a whole to be the best that I’ve had so far. However, I’m not going to pretend that there weren’t some bumps in the road. Yes, I cried when my parents dropped me off at move in. Actually, I bawled. I had no clue what the year was going to be like. Sometimes I did get a little homesick, and sometimes when school got hard I wanted to pack my bags and head back into my childhood room. However, I pushed through these situations and the good outweighed the bad. Your parents will always be a phone call away, and if you were as lucky as I was, you’ll find friends to help you through the rough patches too. Freshman year is the time to experience new things, and without allowing yourself to try and be happy and have fun, you’ll never see its full potential.

In conclusion, to all of the new “babies” (as we were called last year), I hope you have just as wonderful of a year as I did. I wish you all of the friends, late nights, dining hall binges, roommate chats, and memories that I made, and hope you realize just how great this year is about to be. My best advice: don’t wish this year away. It will go by fast, and I truly cannot believe that I am already a sophomore. Don’t be too hard on yourself, be yourself, and love every single second. I know I did.