During my freshman year of college, I had to catch on to some things. Ranging from what time I should schedule my classes, all the way to being the real me. Here is what I learned during my freshman year at Indiana State University:
1. 8 a.m. classes take dedication.
I thought in my head that I could accomplish having an 8 a.m. class because of high school. I was used to getting up at 6:30 a.m. every morning, so why couldn't I get up at 7:30 a.m.? I found myself walking to class half-dead and just barely keeping my eyes open for my lecture. Let’s just say I barely comprehended the information given in class. Luckily for me, I didn't fail.
2. Financial Aid is time consuming.
Every time I would go to financial aid, I would sit in the waiting room for at least three to four hours. When I was finally able to talk to one of the people at the desk, I would always either be missing a piece of information or they lost a piece of my information. I would only be sitting with them for about five minutes, so I don’t understand why the waiting room wait is so long.
3. Your dining hall swipes will end.
When you first get that fresh reload of commons cash and credits, you think you are invincible. When, in reality, you come down to the last four weeks of school and your swipes have become sparse. I could no longer swipe for friends or go to the dining hall every day. I found myself taking more and more food to my room after I ate.
4. Napping won’t do your homework.
I could literally sleep all day without any problems—except that I had homework. I thought that if I just took an hour nap then I would get up and do my paper… but that hour nap turned into a six-hour nap, and I was left with too much sleep and a blank word document. So I came up with the realization that napping won’t do your homework for you.
5. Getting a job is way harder than I thought.
I thought, since I am living in a college town and they know that college kids need jobs, that I could easily get one. Instead, I am a month away from finishing my freshman year and still don’t have a job. My advice to you would be to start applying for jobs a month before coming to school so you can be ahead of the game. Also to save up during the summer so you can have essential and spending money until you find a job.
6. You should actually follow the syllabus.
I never followed the syllabus my first semester because I was so used to my teachers back in high school telling me when stuff is due. Basically, I didn't want to read the syllabus because I thought it was stupid. When actually, the syllabus was like the gold medal at the Olympics.
7. Be active on campus.
Every university has awesome organizations that you can get involved with and meet new friends. Not only is it a great way to meet friends, but also a great way to build up your resume. I heard once that is not about the people you know, but the people who know you. This is a great way to get intern positions and even a job when you graduate.
8. Study hard from the beginning.
My first semester I got a really rude awakening when I noticed that my grades weren't as good as I wanted them to be. That was because I never studied. I would just pay close attention in class and depend on that instead of reading the material from the book to understand that portion of the exam. I didn't actually start to study until one of my professors called me into her office and told me I need to get my life together and study if I want to pick up my grade and pass.
9. Your health matters.
Living on campus there are so many way you can catch a cold or get the flu. There are germs on every door knob and desk you touch. I had to make sure that I always washed my hands all the time. When I would sneeze and cough, I would cover my mouth. Make sure that you have medicine in your dorm at all times because you can get sick at any moment. Because I was sick, I wouldn’t go to class and just sleep all day.
10. Be yourself.
I feel like this is one of the most important things that I learned myself. The more that you be yourself and not be like others is when you find your true friends. If you act like someone else, then you won’t find your true friends. True friends are the ones who love you for your flaws and all. So being yourself is not being afraid to show your true skin. That goofy laugh and even being somewhat annoying. The more you are yourself, the less you have to stress about someone not liking you.
