This semester my school welcomed in a host of freshmen made of of several young men and women ready to start off their college careers and develop for the next phase of life. Many of them were top of their classes and took classes that were clearly more difficult than the ones they will be taking during their first year on a campus. With that being said, some of them still do not understand that there is much to learn that no matter how smart they are they will need some assistance with. Here are perhaps the three most important things for these "Know It All" freshmen coming on campus.
1. You're No Longer the BMOC
To those that do not know, BMOC stands for big man on campus. This reference is to a college athlete that was the best on their team and seemed to have everything going for them. All of the freshman were great in high school, which is how they got to college in the first place. To put this into NBA terms: consider college your rookie season in the league where you may have potential, however there is still much to learn and the rookie duties aren't something you're exempt from; ask LeBron. Your high school accolades have brought you this far but now everybody is starting from scratch and you have to prove yourself in all aspects all over again.
2. With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility.
Many freshman have boasted about the amount of responsibilities that they had before college but living on your own is a whole different monster. So long are the wake ups from parents in the morning or the curfew that ultimately helped you develop a healthy sleep pattern. You can now eat Doritos for breakfast and have company everyday if you would like. Your parents can no longer speak to your "teachers" for you and your actions directly impact you with there being real life consequences now. Trust me, this whole experience is unlike anything you've lived through to this point.
3. Humble Yourself.
One of the best things to do is to be open minded and willing to learn. I know from experience that being humble can help you learn many things that you wouldn't have otherwise discovered. College is the last point in your life where people will give you information and time for free as you are still not competition yet so make the most of it. You don't have to "dumb yourself down" to be humble but you do have to realize that you don't know it all and be willing to learn from those that are already proven at your school. Upperclassmen are there to help you and I personally want to see everyone win, so don't feel like you're being belittled; All of the greats had teachers.
