No matter how ready, involved, or outgoing you may be, freshman year is always a huge transition and adjustment. The first few weeks, especially, can be particularly rough and scary. Some people adjust fairly quickly to the ins and outs of college life, while others struggle to navigate their way through friendships, relationships, and even classes. Missing old friends and the many comforts of home, it is easy to sit back and feel completely alone in a sea of new faces. Although it can be a difficult time for some of us, there are many ways to get out of the funk and experience college for what it really is. Here are some tips on how to avoid the almost unavoidable freshman blues:
1. Get Involved: No matter what, it is important to join some clubs or groups that interest you. Sometimes too much free time can be a very bad thing. Getting involved on campus will not only keep you busy, but it will force you to leave the dorm room and meet new people. Once you find a couple clubs that you genuinely enjoy, you will start to meet people with similar likes and interests. Often times that can lead itself into many lasting friendships!
2. Get out of your dorm: I know it’s hard. Who wants to eat lunch alone? With everyone on different class schedules, it is sometimes difficult to coordinate appropriate times to venture on over to the dining hall with a wing-man. Although it can seem a little intimidating, don’t get sucked into eating alone in your dorm. Go to the dining hall with your laptop or even a book. Chances are you will run into some people you know and it is always good to keep showing your face around campus, especially the first couple weeks.
3. Introduce yourself: It may seem a bit awkward at first, but everyone is in the same position! When you are looking for some girls to go out with on a Saturday night, don’t be afraid to go up and introduce yourself. Having the confidence to do that in the first place will automatically cause people to be drawn to you. Who knows, you may end up hitting it off and forming some great relationships!
4. Don’t rely on people you already know: Don’t get me wrong, it is great to have a familiar face at a new school. Whether you are going to college with ten of your high school friends or just one, keeping up those relationships is important; however, it is equally important to expand on your circle of friends and not remain cliquey or dependent on the people you already know. Not only will it shut other people away, but you’ll prevent yourself from branching out and forming new friendships and relationships.
5. Talk to your parents and old friends: Your four years at college will be some of the busiest. It can sometimes be hard to keep up with friends and family from back home. Nevertheless, still take the time to FaceTime with your friends to tell them about your weekend, or give your mom and dad a call after you survived that first Chem test. It’ll make you feel good to talk to the people you are already comfortable around; however, make sure that you are not talking to them too much…too much of anything is never a good thing.
6. You’re not alone: Sometimes it can feel like you are the only one experiencing the freshman blues. Just know that you are not alone! It is okay to feel sad and lonely the first couple weeks, or even months, of college; however, it is important not to dwell on the negatives. Change your situation! Once you take control and put yourself out there, everything else will fall into place. Just take a deep breath and know that everything happens for a reason. Things will get better.
There you have it! Some simple tips to help make that transition into freshman year a little bit easier. No one said that it would be a walk in the park, but by putting yourself out there and being confident, the adjustment phase will become a lot less of a burden. Just remember that everything falls into place eventually, and when it does, get ready for the time of your life.