“I’m so jealous you’re a freshman!” was a statement I became way too familiar with this year. Why would anyone want to be a freshman again? We freshman are awkward, confused and overall, clueless. From orientation to move out day I would be told from strangers to best friends how they always wished they were a freshman again. I never understood why they wanted to be one- until I wasn’t one anymore.
For the most part, college was always a far away concept for me. I’m the oldest out of my cousins and I only have a younger brother. Being the first to go through braces, and middle school, and I was, of course, the first to go through everything college related. Luckily, I had older friends to tell me the dos and don’ts of my freshman year. Or so I thought.
When friends tell you about their freshman year, they sugarcoat it. They don’t tell you about the homesick days or how it can be hard to get adjusted. They don’t tell you that you aren’t necessarily best friends with the roommate you met on Facebook. Or that although it’s called “Elementary Statistics” you will struggle to get a B because it is not for a fifth grader, it’s still a college level course. So when I endured many troubles the first couple months of freshman year (read: rode the struggle bus daily), I assumed it would get better with time and I couldn’t wait to be an upperclassman.
Making some lasting (and some not lasting) friendships, rushing a sorority and realizing why my college is so much more than just a school were just a few of the experiences I went through freshman year. There were so many first experiences and it was fun to be in a completely different environment. However, some of those first experiences did not go as planned.
Such as the first time I forgot about a test: I found that regardless of the number of cups of coffee you drink, you will ultimately crash the night before that psych test you forgot to study for. I also found that while cramming is better than nothing, taking a few extra days to prepare saves you from a caffeine overdose, a breakdown and a box of tissues.
There was also the first time I did laundry: I’ve found that putting all your clothes in a warm water cycle and then putting them in the dryer can leave you with jeans that are now capris, or a once white shirt with a colored tint. In addition, leaving your clothes in a dryer for prolonged periods of time will usually result in someone moving all your clothes out of the dryer and onto a nearby table.
So why am I upset that I’m leaving this naïve, sometimes slightly embarrassing year behind me?
It’s because of the memories I made in one short year. Yes, I made some mistakes, and embarrassed myself often my freshman year, but isn’t being a freshman all about learning? The amazing memories I gained will always be more important than the awkward ones that occurred from your cluelessness. With all of those embarrassing first experiences came some amazing ones as well.
When I went out with my friends for the first time I found that no matter how often you do it, you always get excited for what the night holds as you walk down Court Street. I also found that the brick streets of Athens, Ohio are extremely different when you’re touring the school with your parents, than when you’re going out on a Friday night with best friends.
Accepting my bid to my sorority was another first. I found that if you open yourself up, a group of strangers will begin to become your sisters. I’ve also learned that the same sisters will help you from crises that range from giving you a formal dress when yours didn’t arrive in time, to giving you advice on any issue you might be facing.
While I’m SO excited for the next three years I get to experience there, I’m a little upset that I have less “firsts” to discover at OU.
The thing about being a freshman is that you are awkward. You are stupid and confused and clueless but that’s part of the fun of it. Being a freshman is all about learning and understanding.
By the end of your freshman year, you start to understand why seniors dread graduation. It seems like we’re always rushing to the next stage. In middle school we were dying to get to high school, and by ninth grade we couldn’t wait to get to college. Here we are in college. This is it. Next stop we’re adults, and it’s exciting that we’re going into the real world, but when college is over- it’s done. How many times have adults whined about wishing they were back in college? Here we are at what is referred to often as “the best four years” and I already have one down.
To those of you recent high school grads who were lucky enough to choose Ohio University as your home for the next four years, please know from a current sophomore that I’m jealous of you. Enjoy your freshman year; it goes by way too fast.
