There’s no denying that as freshman we probably did one or more of these things, even if we upperclassmen don’t want to admit it. As older, wiser individuals, it is now our responsibility to enlighten the incoming freshman class and point them in the right direction so they can take advantage of all UF has to offer.
1. Eating only pizza at the dining hall.
It’s something that inevitably happens because pizza is always a constant in the life of a freshman. Sometimes the other dining hall food just doesn’t look appealing (especially if you’re a picky eater). The pizza and cookies will always be there for you. But as we all know, a constant diet of pizza and cookies isn’t exactly healthy for you. What’s a Gator to do?
- Advice for incoming freshmen: Try exploring the salad options. I’m a bit picky when it comes to vegetables, but on days when the only food that looked appetizing was the pizza, I made sure to get a huge bowl of salad so I wouldn’t stuff myself with just pizza. There are also bananas, apples and other fruit.
2. Not exploring Gainesville beyond Midtown.
This is especially relevant if you don’t have a car and are reliant on walking or buses. Midtown is the easiest destination because it’s right near campus, and, maybe as a car-less freshman, you used the bus to venture out to Butler Plaza for groceries or went downtown a couple of times for something other than the nightlife.
- Advice for incoming freshmen: If you’re in the same boat as I was in and you don’t have a car or friends with cars, it can definitely be a hassle to explore Gainesville. But there are some really cool things to do outside of nightlife! Lake Wauburg is reachable by bus, and downtown has lots of fun events like the food truck rallies every month at the High Dive and the farmer’s market every Wednesday at Bo Diddley Plaza.
3. Only hanging out with people from high school.
If you’re not particularly outgoing, making friends can be hard. Sometimes you might find yourself talking to the same people from high school, even ones you didn’t particularly like. It’s comforting, of course, and there are definitely some people you actually like. But a lot of people from high school were only relevant because you were forced to see them five days a week.
- Advice for incoming freshmen: Join organizations based on your interests! This is a great way to meet people with whom you have things in common. Talk to people in your classes and don’t be afraid to get their numbers and meet for study sessions and coffee.
4. Going out when you should’ve stayed in or staying in when you should’ve gone out.
The art of scheduling your nights out is still an art to be mastered, but freshman year was probably the time when it was the biggest problem. Somehow, every time there was a woodser, you had a test the next week. Or every time you decided to have a Netflix night, your friends had a fantastic time.
- Advice for incoming freshmen: Try to schedule out when your big exams and papers are, and make sure that you have enough time to study and prepare for them if you want to go out the weekend before. If it’s Friday night and you haven’t studied at all for your calculus test, you should probably stay in. Try to plan big nights on the weeks when you don’t have five exams because no matter what you tell yourself, you’re not going to study properly if you’re recovering from the previous night.
5. Not going to events on campus.
I get it; sometimes the allure of Netflix and your bed are just too much, and trekking across campus to that event you clicked “Going” to on Facebook seems like such a drag. But there are just so many cool things going on around campus — from exciting speakers to dance lessons, from open mic nights to arts and crafts events, from concerts to Shakespeare performances — and most of them are free. You aren’t going to get that a lot once you’re out in the real world.
- Advice for incoming freshmen: Take advantage of these fun, free events (especially ones with food) while you’re still in school. If you can’t find anyone with whom to go and the event is something really cool, there is no shame in going by yourself.
Don’t make these common mistakes, class of 2020! Live your freshman year to its fullest potential.
Photo credit: Honors.ufl.edu