Freshman year is coming to a close for me, and looking back, I’ve realized how exciting and powerful my year has been. I know that no matter how terrifying it could be at times, that will never overshadow how many amazing aspects have come out of this year. The new feelings, places, people, and opportunities amaze me every single day.
The one aspect of being a college freshman that I will miss the most is the feeling of newness that everything has. There is always some event that you haven’t ever been to, some class you’ve never heard of, and some person who you haven’t met. The best part is that this newness is allowed to be treasured; when you’re a freshman you don’t feel awkward for having not done this or that, or met whoever, you just are happy to have a new experience. This newness is something that you’ve probably felt before, maybe as a freshman in high school, or when attending new programs and activities, but it has never been quite on this scale before. The amount of new stuff to do is overwhelmingly refreshing and nice. This newness creates an amazing atmosphere for college freshmen.
However, that newness isn’t the only aspect I’ll miss, I’ll also miss all the chances you are given. Not so much by your teachers, who will no doubt claim they are preparing you for the real world or whatever, but by your organizations and friends who let stuff slide because you’re still learning and you’re bound to make mistakes along the way. Maybe you were 30 minutes late to that first sorority new member education meeting. Chances are, your organization will let you have a pass on that. Of course, there are still expectations and there is definitely a higher demand on people doing what needs to be done, which most of us did not experience in high school. The standards are higher and the responsibilities bigger, but freshman year is a time to figure out how to manage and succeed at these responsibilities. Freshmen are given a lot of chances, especially at the beginning of the year, to figure out exactly where they are going and what they are doing.
Another aspect of freshman year that I will miss is the chance to really figure out who you are and what kind of organizations, classes, majors, minors, etc. you want to participate in. No matter your year, you can join a new organization, and majors and minors are easy to change, add, and subtract for the first couple years, but freshman year is the year to really decide what kind of a path you want to take during your time in college. You decide what organizations you are going to pursue within the first couple months on campus and get to figure out how involved you want to be in each organization and in the university as a whole. Freshman year encourages and facilitates opportunities and decisions more than any other year at college. Freshman year is when you go to the club fair and sign up for every single club and then a little later on down the road choose which ones actually suit you. The first year of college gives you the time and opportunities to figure out what you want to do with your time at college.
Freshman year is a year of discovery and fun and provides so many opportunities that we don’t even think about. It is a year filled with new friends, new places, and new feelings, so cherish it while it lasts because it will benefit you, at least, if you want it to.
