Your first year of college is undoubtedly one of the most fun, scary, amazing, and eye-opening experiences you’ll ever have. You’re eighteen, freshly liberated from home, and getting your first taste of real independence. With so much freedom, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with the plethora of choices available. So, here are ten things every college freshman should do their first year:
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Go out on a weeknight- because you can: Go out on a Wednesday night to Leitrim’s or Mahoney’s with your girlfriends because you’re young and you might just have the time of your life. You won’t always be able to do this, especially when it’s time to graduate, get a real job, and get serious. You’re only young once and these are the times you’ll never be able to get back. Yes, you may have a little extra work to do the next day, but it will almost always be worth it.
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Find balance (or more fittingly- work hard, play hard): College is all about learning how to manage both yourself and your time. Don’t spend all your time drinking, partying, and watching Netflix. However, you shouldn’t spend all your time in Dinand with your nose in a book either. Find the right balance between the two extremes that works well for you and allows you to experience college to the fullest.
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Take classes you wouldn’t normally choose: Take that theatre class with Professor Isser, because, lets face it, improv can be totally fun and surprisingly helpful. The classes you may not initially consider can be life changing or inspire something in you that hadn’t noticed before. Even if these classes don’t turn out how you expect them to, I guarantee you’ll learn something you didn’t know before. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, no?
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Find something you’re really passionate about and pursue it madly: Do what you love and love what you do. Find what makes you feel amazing and do it. It’s okay to totally geek out over your Philosophy class or to get really into your Environmental Science book. A passion for knowledge and a hunger to constantly learn new things will take you to amazing places.
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“Date” a variety of people: You don’t have to immediately tie yourself down to one person when you get to school. Instead, talk to different types of people and learn from them. Discover what you like about certain types and what you don’t like about others. Fall in love, fall out of love, and establish genuine connections with people!
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Be okay with being by yourself: You’re at college and you’re on your own anyway, so why not go and eat lunch by yourself every once in awhile? The first few times will probably be difficult but learning to be independent and comfortable alone is an extremely important part of life! Spending time with yourself and your thoughts is a great way to become more comfortable in your own skin.
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Do things that put you out of your comfort zone: As Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Do one thing every day that scares you.” Her advice is definitely not always going to be easy to follow, but the things that make you uncomfortable are often the things that lead to personal growth. If that means voicing your opinion in a class or going up to that cute guy from class at a party and starting conversation, do it! I promise that after the fact, no matter the outcome, you will have grown a little bit just for trying.
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Make mistakes: This is, perhaps, one of the most important things you can do. Make a ton of mistakes; do the wrong things and meet the wrong people. It’s OK to fail your first Biology exam or to forget to turn in an assignment. Do these things and learn from them – learn humility, forgiveness, and determination. When you understand what you did wrong and fix it the next time, you will grow as a person.
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Find a group of people that makes you feel happy and comfortable: You will undoubtedly meet some pretty amazing people at school… as well as some not-so-amazing people. Find the amazing ones who are loyal and loving and stick with them. College friends are a different breed than your high school friends – they’re at the same college as you for a reason.P.S. These are the people who will be there for you at two o’clock in the morning on a Tuesday when you feel like you’re having a life crisis because you can’t decide on a major.
Throw both your heart and soul into your college experience: Immerse yourself fully in all the activities, sports games, study sessions, exams, parties, lunch dates, and cups of coffee. Attend the activities fair in Hogan and find out about all the awesome and super diverse clubs available. Join SPUD and help out your fellow Worcester residents. Become a representative for your hall in your dorm, allowing you the opportunity to not only get to know your fellow hall mates better but also to have a stronger presence on campus. Everything in life is completely what you make of it, and I promise that if you put your mind, body, and soul into whatever you choose to do, you won’t go wrong.