Now I don’t know about you, but as a freshman in college it’s not always easy to come into such a new place and continue to remain rooted in who you are and what you value. As a human being we tend to care more about the way we look, especially in a new environment. Sometimes this might makes us lose sight of who we are or who we want to be in the first place. Here are some tips that I’ve found that decrease my FOMO and my social anxiety in this new place.
1. You do not have to join a sorority to make friends.
Okay, now no hate. Sororities are awesome, and they do some awesome work, but they’re not for everybody. One big reason Greek life wasn’t really for me was just that I needed flexibility in my schedule. I have a boyfriend back home so, I want to be able to visit him whenever, and being in panhellenic groups can often decrease this flexibility. Another factor to consider is what you want your college experience to center around. I personally knew that this wasn’t a good fit for me. Yet, this made me feel bad. It felt like every single girl around me was joining one and I was the odd one out. Let me reassure you, you’re not. You will find you friends (heck, I found my best friend here in a floor meeting for my building) and you will have your fun, and there’s nothing wrong with doing that your way. Don’t just stick to the status quo, really think about what’s right for you.
2. You do not have to go to every party.
When you’re a freshman it’s easy to get swept up in the “I’m finally in college let’s party!!” phase. And there is literally nothing wrong with that, except if you’re just going to parties because your friends told you to, and you don’t actually want to. For me personally, as much as I love to go out with friends and party, there are times when I’m much happier going home and watching movies with my significant other. Other times, I just need to study, and I can’t use my time and energy on partying. It’s all about balance! So don’t think you’ll be the laughingstock of your friends if you skip some parties. You’ve got a lifetime of it ahead of you! Again, if you do go out, do it for you not anyone else.
3. Studying has to be your priority.
Nobody likes to think about this, but it is the main reason why we’re all here: to study. It can be a pain, and no doubt you have got to have friends who keep you sane and grounded, but at the end of the day that paper isn’t going to write itself. Again, as a freshman it can be easy to want to take on the college experience head on, and it can also be easy to forget that that experience is supposed to be centered around academics. So have fun, but don’t forget that studying has to come before the fun sometimes (as much as we all dread this fact).
4. Go through your to do list day to day.
Feeling overwhelmed because your planner looks like a 5 year old scribbled all over, but it looks like a mess because you actually have so much to do? Don’t even have a planner? That’s okay. If you’re like me you’re constantly running through your head all the things you need to do today tomorrow and forever. But that’s not healthy. I like to try and turn this off by starting every single day off making a to-do list. Write down everything from the simplest things like going to a lecture to the crazy important stuff like finishing a paper. Not only will it help you flush out the constant list (because every time you freak out about what you need to do you can just look at the list you wrote), but it also makes it more likely you’ll actually do the stuff on the list! By writing it down you almost make a contract with yourself, and you’ll feel way happier checking than pretending not to feel guilty because you never wrote it down.
Overall, college is a place where you find yourself, especially when it’s all fresh and new in freshman year. Just remember to stay true to yourself in all social situations, and remember why you’re here: that degree! Have fun getting there, but make sure you don’t lose focus.
HCXO
Image sources:
https://www.theodysseyonline.com/the-friends-you-meet-college
https://www.hercampus.com/school/northeastern/10-ways-step-your-finals-studying-game