We’re heading into our final month of freshman year, and it feels like we only just started. I can still recall the first day of class (which was incidentally my 19th birthday) and the intense panic I felt walking into my first lecture. I’ve changed so much this year, and I can’t wait for the future, but for now I want to make the most of what’s left of my first year!
Enjoy the dining halls while we still can!
For some of us, freshman year is the first and last time we’ll be living on campus. This means that next year, we’ll no longer have an unlimited meal plan, and instead we’ll be completely dependent on our own culinary skills. I actually complain about the dining hall way more than I should, especially as my standards are going to have to be a hell of a lot lower when I’m cooking for myself… There are so many dining halls to choose from! I recommend Markley’s make-your-own pizza and burgers, Mojo’s cookies or Squad’s taco bowls!
Get outside!
The past few months have been cold and snowy, and I forgot what it was like to both see and feel the sun. U of M is so beautiful and there’s so much to enjoy outside of our dorm rooms. Take a walk with some friends (or even by yourself) to really see Michigan! It’s not so nice going outside when it’s freezing, but enjoy the (finally) good weather! I already have plans to go walk in the Arb, and there are so many other outdoor spaces to explore!
Hang out with your friends
This doesn’t have to mean partying if that isn’t your thing! Have fun in whatever way you want, but make sure you have some! It’ll be finals season before we know it; make sure you have something to remember from the end of term other than just grinding away for your exams. Make as many memories as you can with the people you’ve met here, as soon you’ll be leaving for the summer and will need something to look back on when you miss them. Personally, the friends I’ve made this year are some of the best friends I’ve ever had, and they’ve gotten me through some tough times. I want to get out with them and have fun celebrating that we made it through our first year together!
Take advantage of free events
It’s easy to think that the only thing to do on the weekend is party, but there are so many other things to do for free. Download the HAIL! App to see what sporting events are on during the week, for example there’s baseball, softball, lacrosse, or tennis. Check out Happening @ Michigan for non-sporting events, too! There’s also some super cool events that you have to pay for, for example MUSIC Matters’ SpringFest, but we can normally get student rate tickets.
Michigan also has a few museums that are free, such as the UMMA or the Natural History museum, so get out there and enhance your knowledge!
Finally, as U of M students, we can receive discounted prices from all of these businesses with an MCard. Some of them aren’t relevant, but some get us discounts for entry and activities.
Study…
“Work hard, play harder” is definitely a thing here, but “work” is still in there. Although we’re burning out, our GPAs do matter, even if we’re just freshmen and it feels like we have ages to improve them. Classes get harder from here forward, and giving ourselves an uphill battle from now till the end of college will be miserable. So try to get the balance right to make the future as easy as possible. We all worked incredibly hard to get here, and we should want to show that we really are the leaders and the best!
Photos courtesy of Katie Mercer.