Freshman year is hard. There’s no way around it. Even for some of the smiling faces around you, there are thousands of micro-adjustments that have to be made in order to make it on your own. These are the five most important things that my freshman year of college taught me.
- Being Alone is Okay
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The second I watched my mom’s car pull away from my school, I instantly felt so alone. I came to school without friends from high school, and I only really knew my roommate, so I was terrified of the thought that I wouldn’t make friends. Turns out, I made a big group of friends bonded by the same awkward sensation of being alone. We learned that we were never really alone with one another, but I also realized that the time I get to spend by myself can be a blessing in a world going a million miles a minute.
- You Have to Be the Real You
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The first week of school, I wasn’t myself at all. Usually I’m goofy, loud, and always laughing about something. The first week, I was completely withdrawn and barely spoke, terrified about being in a place so foreign to me. One night, I finally loosened up and let myself be me, and it turned out that all of my friends loved the true version of me. From that moment on, I promised I’d be true to myself and let my personality shine whenever I could.
- Saying Yes is Important
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I was never a spontaneous person before college. Everything was planned out, and I liked things to stay that way. Freshman year taught me that the spontaneous adventures can be the best ones. My article “I Went to Richmond with Nothing but my Rain Jacket” tells the story of how I started saying yes to more and more spontaneous adventures, and how I learned to grow from saying yes.
- Saying No is Important
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Taking time for yourself in college is so important. Freshman year, you probably have a roommate. This may or may not be new to you, but they are a person you probably either don’t know at all, or know only very superficially before moving in. This can be a major stressor for someone like me, as an introvert. Sharing my personal space was definitely a big obstacle I had to overcome. Saying no to some of the things in your life that you know won’t bring you joy can save you physical and emotional energy, which is something that you will definitely thank yourself for doing.
- Enjoy Every Moment While You Can
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Freshman year FLIES by. And yes, I know that’s a cliche pretty much everyone has heard, but it’s the truth. It feels like I was just shlepping all of my stuff past the front desk during a heat wave in an arid August, but the thought of the school year drawing to a close makes my heart drop. I have made so many amazing memories and lifelong friendships, and being away from my second home is going to be another major adjustment I have to make for freshman year. Waving goodbye to my amazing friends will be devastating.
Freshman year is hard with all of the adjustments that have to be made, but it can also be the most fun year of your life if you let it be. I know that the memories and people I have met in my freshman year will always be a part of me, and I will always cherish the memories I have made. Breathe in, take a moment to enjoy everything around you, and know that whatever you’re going through will pass. Say yes to your friends and no to the things in your life that will drag you down. You only get one freshman year, so make the best of it!