Top 10 Things I Learned By Surviving Freshman Year

1. Budget Your Time

Or even most days of the week. It’s good to set a day or two that you can go out and have fun with friends, but don’t let it take over your life. Sometimes, you might have a late class on Monday, so you go out Sunday, and then it’s the same on Wednesday, so why not throw Tuesday in as well, and of course you’re going out on Thursday because Thursday is Friday, and you’re going out on Friday because Friday is Saturday, and Saturday is still Saturday and then all of the sudden you are the one who can’t remember what day it is and hasn’t been to class in two weeks. Don’t be that person.

3. Carry Purell like it's your lifeline

Carry Purell like your life depends on it. Remember the germaphobe in high school who you always felt kind of sorry for and they had the hand sanitizer clipped to their backpack? In College, your goal is to be that person because everyone is constantly sick. And if one person gets sick, it’s almost guaranteed that at least five other people will be within the week, no matter how contained it is or how careful you think you’re being. If you do get sick, your professors will not understand why you couldn’t complete that paper and the 20 math problems and the psychology quiz over the weekend even if you were puking your guts out. Carry the Purell.

4. Eat your greens and proteins

It might seem like a fun idea to eat anything you want because your parents aren’t there and can’t tell you not to live off of pasta, but if you do that you will eventually feel horrible and probably get sick. Your body needs proteins and vegetables to function properly, so seriously eat a vegetable or get the meat option or even just mix some chicken in with your pasta, you will thank me later. Otherwise, you will find yourself crying because you haven’t seen an avocado in weeks. Eat a vegetable.

5. Don't go out to eat all the time

You paid for those dining meal points and you have to use them, regardless of how bland or tasteless the food is. Also, there are a lot of ways you can hack your dining hall food and get the best options, and your bank account will thank you later!

6. Don't make-out with everyone in the first month

Trust me, this is a one-way ticket to getting Mono and then an unidentified virus. Take it easy at first, and if you’re sick then take some time to recover before going out again, it’s not worth compromising your health. See points two and three.

7. Budget your expenses

You will feel a lot better about yourself if you allot $20 for eating out per month and another for coffee or shopping, because if you don’t at least try to budget your expenses, all of the sudden you will be sad, in debt and penniless.

8. Go to class

This should be a given, but a lot of people skip them or don’t go all the time. It’s easy and totally understandable to miss one or two classes because you overslept or had a rough night or can get the notes from a friend in the class, but don’t miss any you don’t have to. No one wants to be suddenly and inexplicably failing because you haven’t been to class in two weeks. Don’t be that person, seriously, go to class.

9. Get a pocket-wallet for the back of your phone

There are people handing these out for free on the streets, so it’s easy to acquire one, and they are incredibly convenient. Wallets are just another thing to carry around and kind of a hassle, but a pocket on the back of your phone suddenly means that you have everything in one place on you all the time.

10. Use money-saving apps for students

I cannot tell you how much money I have saved at Chick-fil-A just by using Pocket Points, an app that gives you points for having your phone locked during class and then you can redeem the points towards a discount on food or shopping at a variety of locations throughout campus. Also,

Unidays has some incredible discounts for students that are definitely worth checking out!