The Freshman 15: 15 Things I learned during my first semester at Towson and now they are nuggets of wisdom for you
Manage Your Time Wisely
Having 8 a.m. classes every day really made me manage my time better. I made sure to get all my work done ahead of time, nap, go to the gym, and still be in bed before midnight because if I wasn’t there was no way I could get up in time for class.
Don’t Stress
Since I learned how to manage all the hours in my day wisely, I learned I didn’t need to stress if I stayed on top of all my assignments and made sure everything was in on time.
Make Lots of to Do Lists
To make sure I wasn’t stressed, I created multiple to do lists so I wouldn’t forget anything. I also put due dates next to all my assignments on the list and in my planner so I was able to see which assignments to work on first and which to work on a little later.
Get Involved
I know every person in college tells you to get involved, but it is seriously the best decision I ever made. Attend the involvement fairs, put your name on a bunch of email lists that look interesting to you then attend a meeting or two. Getting involved helped me meet some people who shared outside interests with me like Her Campus. I have already met some amazing people just by joining a club. Don’t be afraid to try something new, you will never know what it is really like until you try.
If You Can, Get to Know Your Roommate Before You Move In
I am so glad I met my roommate on the Class of 2015 Facebook group because it gave us so much time to talk, plan the room, and get to know each other before we moved in. It has made such a difference in my college experience because now she is one of my best friends and we have only known each other for a few months. We know everything about each other and it makes living together so much better.
Don’t Pack Too Much
I have the worst tendency to want to bring everything I own with me everywhere I go, but packing for college was a lot harder. I didn’t know how much room I had in the dorms so I was really stressed on what to bring. I realized I am all about comfort so a t-shirt and sweatpants is my usual attire for class. Occasionally I will dress up to go to class or to go out, but I am never very comfortable walking across campus in a cute outfit.
Keep In Contact With Your Old Friends
Skype has become my best friend while at school because I can video chat with my mom or with my friends from home who went to school hours away. Keeping in contact with them was important because I didn’t want to forget all about my hometown since my friends there have been my friends since before I can remember.
Enjoy Your Freedom but Don’t Get Too Carried Away
I enjoyed all the free time I had, managed my time and succeeded in earning a 4.0 my first semester. Yet I watched so many fellow classmates crumble because they decided that going out every night of the week was more important than school work, and they learned the hard way.
Try and Meet Everyone on Your Floor
RA’s in the dorms hold events occasionally to get the floor together and have a fun time so attend them. Meeting new people is so exciting and during the first few weeks, try and meet as many people as you can. The people on my floor are so great and I end up hanging out with them the most since they are only a few rooms away.
Read, Read, Read your Textbooks
Some professors don’t specifically tell you to read, but they assume you know that you are supposed to read. Even if they don’t tell you to, reading your textbooks are a big help because you will be ahead of the class, understand the material before it is taught, and be able to ask better questions in class to clarify your understanding. Also, sometimes they use what is in the book on tests and quizzes without telling you, so watch out.
Attend Events on Campus
After attending the first football game, I decided I would attend every game until the season was over for a few one big reason: the tailgates. The tailgates before the games are so much fun. You can hang out with all of your friends, meet some new ones, and have a good time before the game even starts. Considering the game was free, what else would you be doing during your Saturday afternoon when every other Towson student was in Lot 14?
Ready for the Football Game
Don’t Get Caught up in the “All You Can Eat” Dining Halls
I know the food may look delicious, but try not to get caught up in the unlimited fries or soft-serve ice cream. Try and cut back on eating all the junk food because with all the stress of being in a new place you could end up gaining that “Freshman 15” faster than you wanted to.
Take Advantage of the Free Gym
To make sure I didn’t gain the “Freshman 15”, I found a gym buddy and made time to go to the gym Mon-Fri for about an hour. We fit in the gym time around our class schedules so we could get in the habit of working out for free while at school. Take advantage of the free gym now since most gym memberships at home are really expensive; myself having no money, free is awesome!
Office Hours Can Be Your Best Friend
If you are having trouble in a class, take advantage of your professor’s office hours. They purposely set up those hours to help you, and if they see you coming in for help then they know you are actually putting effort into their class. Showing this commitment to understanding their class usually makes the professor notice you no matter how big or small your class is.
Exploring Towson With New Friends
Adventure Through Towson
On your weekends or free time, go wander off campus and see what is on York Road. There are fun places to eat and shop, especially in the mall, so leave your dorm once in awhile, grab some friends and go shopping. I had the problem of always wanting to buy things when I went to the mall, but it was still fun to be there with all my new friends.
So there yah have it! The 15 things I learned my freshmen fall semester! Do you have any embarrassing freshmen stories? Let us know in the comments!