Your first year is upon you. You’ve had a few weeks to adjust and a few weeks to get lost. You’ve had some time to make friends and join clubs. And, you’ve had time to experience college or at least gotten a little taste of it. But there’s some things I think you should know, and that I wish I did know, when I first started at my college.
It’s okay to be scared.
College is scary. Not having your parents around to help you is scary. Being away from home and not having your closest friends is scary. But it’s okay to be scared. It’s okay to feel alone in this new place that’s supposed to be your “home.” It’s okay to be afraid of professors but you have to overcome it anyways.
Remember to eat and sleep.
This a ~major key~. You’re being thrown into a new life where you have to be responsible for yourself, go to class and are expected to have fun. That can make you forget that you have to nourish yourself and recharge from time to time. As the semester goes on, remember this. No final is worth days without sleep and no party scene is worth switching food for endless amounts of alcohol.
It’s okay to change.
You will not be the same person you were when you started here as you’ll be when you leave. That’s okay. College is about changing and growing. It’s about learning new things, being exposed to new ideas and figuring out what you believe in. It’s amazing. And the person you become will most definitely a great version of you.
Remember, your first year counts.
Freshman year matters. Your 15 or 16 credit hours create a foundation for your overall GPA. Just like no final is worth going days without sleep, no party is worth failing an exam or flunking out of school. You don’t want to end up on academic probation and you don’t want to have the stress of trying to pick yourself up from a rock bottom GPA.
Be respectful. You may be new to this but it matters.
This means to your professors, peers and people you meet around campus. You never know when you’re going to have to see or work with them again, and you don’t want to get off on the wrong foot with people when you just started here. Be nice. And if they’re not nice to you, kill them with kindness. It’s the best plan of action.
Make the most of this year.
Get involved, meet new people and do things that are outside of your comfort zone. You never know what you’ll find out about yourself or what you’ll find out about the school you’re at. You never know who you’ll meet or what your limits are if you don’t get out there and try. Whether it be joining a club like bellydancing or just attending school sponsored events like casino or craft nights, you’ll be doing something. And doing something at school is way better (and more rewarding) that doing something at home or going home every weekend.
Freshman year can be scary. It can be downright terrifying. But it can also be great. Have the best year at school and do amazing things, collegiettes! HCXO