Dear Class of 2017 collegiettes,
For years you toiled in high school, dreaming of the day when you would finally wear that cap and gown and set off on the next chapter of your life: college. You reveled in the thought of homecoming in a stadium packed with thousands of people, finding a new sense of sisterhood in a sorority and making some of the best friends you would ever find. The moment you tacked that Ryan Gosling poster on your dorm wall, you jumpstarted the first of many wonderful days you will have over the next four years.
But before you head off to your first class or your first college party, we older collegiettes have some advice. Without further ado, we upperclassmen have some things to say to you!
1. It’s OK to not be best friends with your roommate. While you should try to be friends, don’t sweat it if you and your roommate don’t become BFFs immediately, because people don’t always click that way. But even if you don’t end up doing everything together, it’s more than possible to still get along and have fun with your roommate, so don’t lose hope!
2. But DO make friends with upperclassmen! We may seem scary, but honestly, we love making new friends, even with freshmen like you! Besides, we know the best classes, the best places to eat, the best parties and all the greatest things campus has to offer.
3. Don’t feel bad about being homesick. Many of you spent YEARS of your life growing up somewhere else. Don’t ever feel ashamed if you tear up because you miss your high school friends or your favorite movie theater from back home. They were all a big part of your life, so relish in those memories while also moving on to new things!
4. Talk to lots of people who are different than you. One of the greatest things about college is the diversity of background, interests and more on campus. Instead of sticking to a crowd like the one you were part of in high school, branch out and talk to everyone you meet. Not only will you learn interesting things about them, but you’ll also pick up all the different ways people see the world.
5. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Whether it’s taking a class that’s way too hard for you or getting involved with the wrong guy, you WILL make mistakes in college. But you will also learn from those mistakes and become a stronger person.
6. Take up new hobbies and interests. Take advantage of all the classes and clubs college has to offer. Pick up a new sport, a new hobby, a new anything; it will expand your horizons by making you realize how much of your world remains undiscovered.
7. Talk to an academic adviser. You only really need to go once or twice a semester, but academic advisers will help you map out your academic life for next four years. They’ll plan out your major classes with you, give you great career advice and help you make the most of campus life, so see them often! Besides, you don’t want to be stuck taking required classes as a senior.
8. Don’t put up with bad friends. Just like in high school, you’ll make amazing friends, but you’ll also inadvertently make friends who are mean and careless towards you. They may put you down, they may dismiss you when you need them most or they may never be happy for you when you do succeed. If that happens, don’t be afraid to cut ties with him or her – there are too many people on campus who would be better friends to you.
9. Get to know the community. Go out and explore the city or town you’ve moved to. If you’re going to be there for the next four years, knowing all the best your community has to offer means you’ll have a great time off campus, too!
10. Know that boys are temporary, but good friends are forever. You will have countless boy problems that can make you sad, angry, frustrated and all the negative emotions in between. But you will also have just as many friends who will ALWAYS listen to you as you cry, rant and vent about any guy who crosses your path. That’s what friends are for.
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11. At least TRY to eat healthy! Guess what: even that star gymnast on your school’s team is at risk of the Freshman Fifteen. Enjoy the cupcakes from all those study breaks, but keep to your fruits and veggies, too. That also includes eating well. Especially during midterms and finals, you will be tempted to eat sugary snacks instead of real meals or just skip meals completely. This will mess with your body, so make sure you get a healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner.
12. Don’t take on too much. You’ll be pressured to do well in classes, have a social life, compete for internships, join all these clubs and be happy all at once. But you can’t be happy if you feel like you never have room to breathe. Know your limits, and quit a few student organizations or take up an easier course load if you need to!
13. Get enough sleep. Come finals week, you might joke around and say that “sleep is for the weak,” but deprive yourself of enough shut-eye and you could end up as the weakest student in your class. Got class the next morning? Sleep early. Staying out late during the weekends? Sleep in.
14. If you can, travel! College is that beautiful stage of your life where you’re young and independent enough to go see the world. If you have the time and resources, study abroad, take road trips or even just plan small weekend trips for you and your friends! Go see the world.
15. Learn how to manage your own money. You’ll want to shop, splurge on concert tickets and buy little things for your dorm room all the time. But you’ll also need money for textbooks and the plane ride home for breaks, and you’ll need enough cash to stock up on first aid supplies from CVS. Start budgeting your money now! You don’t want to end the semester strapped for cash to buy groceries and necessities.
16. Accept that people will come and go. You and your friends will change a whole lot as people during college, meaning that you could outgrow each other, whether you’re friends from high school or college. Know that if you and some of your friends grow apart, it’s not because they suddenly don’t like you – it’s all part of a bittersweet, natural process where you’re all changing.
17. Get spirited! Get sucked into school spirit! Go to sports games, pep rallies and more. You’ll be there for four years, so why not love where you go to school?
18. Always communicate your feelings. A lot of drama with friends, roommates, boys and more involves miscommunication where no one is aware of how you or others really feel. Learn how to tell people why you’re happy or unhappy in a respectful way. That way, you can avoid a lot of misunderstandings.
19. Don’t know what you want to do after college? It’s fine! More people than you think have switched majors and entire career paths both during and after college. While it’s scary to not have a set plan that you cultivated for years, life post-graduation can be beautiful because of how unpredictable it is. You WILL achieve your goals; you’ll just find that there isn’t only one path to success!
20. Most of all, enjoy and love these four years. Your time in college will fly by and soon you’ll be standing in front of your old dorm as a senior, wondering how time passed so quickly. Savor the memories, both good and bad, because college will pass by way too soon.
And with that, good luck dear collegiettes of the Class of 2017! College is a blast, we promise.