Freshman year of college is supposed to be our first step into the real world, but also the time where we can really find out who we are and what we want to be. As new students, it’s time to step out of our comfort zones and make the most of the four years we have here. Although we still have eight months left, here are six little life lessons that I’ve picked up in just my first month at Mason.
1. It’s okay to do things by yourself.
One of the greatest things about college is that it’s socially acceptable to eat meals by yourself. Yes, it’s easy to just text your new friends and force them to come get food with you, but sometimes it’s nice to just grab a quick meal alone to study, read, or even get lost in your own thoughts. However, don’t feel like you need to completely isolate yourself – establish that happy medium between grabbing a quick bite to eat solo and indulging in frequent Starbucks coffee runs with your friends.
2. The Freshman 15 is a real thing.
Mason’s unlimited meal plan is probably the best and worst thing that’s ever happened to freshmen, including myself. If the staff at Ike’s are literally handing you a slice of pizza when you walk through the door at 2:00 a.m., maybe it’s time to alter your eating habits a little. Remember, you have all year to enjoy the gloriousness that is unlimited comfort food, don’t eat your way through the dining halls in just the first semester!
3. Get involved, but don’t get overwhelmed.
During the activities fair, signing up for clubs seemed almost second nature, but let’s be honest: did you really go to all the follow up meetings afterwards? Since GMU has such a large commuter population, it’s true that getting involved at Mason is the best way to have the full college experience. However, you should know how much you can handle and don’t get caught up in becoming so involved that you forget why you really came to college: to get an education (while acquiring as many free t-shirts as possible).
4. Homesickness goes away faster than you think.
Now that we’ve all gotten through that one emotional breakdown where we called our parents at 3:00 in the morning to come take us home , it really isn’t that bad living away from from our parents. In just a month there’s been so much going on, it almost seems like there’s never any time to stop and think about how much we really miss our family. However, in case you start getting down again, I’ve found that weekly Facetime calls with my family always put me in a good mood!
5. Time management is everything now.
In college, you definitely get a lot more down time than in high school, but that doesn’t mean it needs to be spent binge watching Gossip Girl instead of writing that essay that’s due next week. With freedom comes responsibility, and unfortunately sometimes its good to turn off the Netflix marathon and work ahead on assignments so they don’t pile up.
(Also on that topic, time management comes in handy when doing laundry too. Set an alarm to make sure you’re there to take your clothes out the dryer or someone WILL take them out for you and leave them on the floor with a passive agressive sticky note.)
6. Nobody knows what they’re doing either.
In high school, there were plenty of people that were certain they were going to major in biochemical engineering or international relations as soon as they got to college. Those were the ones that looked like they had their life together, and I’ll be the first to admit I was jealous. When I got to college, I was scared that everyone already knew what they were going do with their lives after they graduate. In reality, there’s only a small handful of freshmen that have a precise plan of attack for their four years here . This first year of college is where we’re encouraged to experiment and try new things, so don’t feel like you have to commit to something your first year.
photo credits:
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