This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Clemson chapter.
It was the best of times and it was the worst of times. Thinking back on my freshman year here at Clemson that cliché quote pops right into my head, because, cheesy or not, it is true. You have those days where you cannot remember how you survived under the tyranny of your parents back in high school and others where the only thing you want is to cry to your mom. So freshmen, listen up, here are some things I wish I knew in order to survive freshman year.
- School actually matters. Contrary to popular belief, you are really at college to get an education and in the future your grades will matter. So try not to slack off freshman year and then have to spend the rest of your college career trying to make up for that rough first semester.
- Get involved. Join a club, a sorority, a service organization, or whatever it is you may be interested in. Not only is this a great way to make friends but it also allows you to find new hobbies or enhance already found skills.
- Be still. Though it’s good to get involved and be busy, you also need alone time. I know it’s hard, but you don’t always have to be doing something. Just because you are sitting in your dorm room by yourself does not mean you don’t have friends.
- Embrace friendships. Freshman year is unlike any other. You meet so many new and different people, but you probably do not have a set friend group yet. But that’s okay. You will have a friend group soon, but in the meantime meet people who are different from you, meet people who maybe you are like, meet people who you would’ve never been friends with in high school. These friendships teach you a lot about who you are.
- Be yourself. Yes I know you have probably heard this a million times, but your freshman year gives you the time to find your identity apart from your parents. Make sure to hold onto you and don’t get caught up in trying to find the coolest friends; this isn’t high school anymore.
- Don’t eat too much Schilletter. Supposedly they put diuretics in their food…awesome.
Though it is a crazy year, being a freshman is an experience unlike any other. Live it up because when you are a senior you will look back on your freshman year and laugh about how different it was.
Source: http://features.clemson.edu/cr…