The best things in life seem to come and go in the blink of an eye, and college is no exception. With my freshman year coming to an end, there are some things I wish someone would have told me before I was thrown into the great unknown of university life.
1. Out with (some of) the old, and in with the new
These years at school are what you make of them, so it’s important to find people that will help you grow as an individual into the person who you are meant to become. Freshman year is a good time to let go of those who will hold you back from being the best version on yourself that you can possibly be. Some of your “best” home friends might not be putting in as much effort as you are, so it’s important to remember that friendship should always be two way street. Sometimes distance is extremely difficult, but it does a great job of showing you who you should keep around for the long haul. Those who want to keep in touch will and those who don’t, well, good riddance.
2. Open your eyes
School is a wonderful place with opportunities surrounding you each and every day. If you’ve come into school thinking you know exactly how you want your life to play out, I suggest you take a deep breath and open your eyes. There is a world of possibilities around you; classes taught by renowned professors and loads of internship opportunities with large companies whose names you have seen branded over everything. It’s time to step out of your comfort zone and take some risks; it isn’t fun being so sure of yourself all of the time.
3. Be yourself
There is no such thing as a “typical” freshman year experience, so do what makes you happiest. Ignore the stigmas attached to certain groups of friends, sororities, and guys. Just do you. Let’s be honest, no one really cares whether or not you go to that party or whether you’re “sratty” enough. Remember that college is your last time to be a kid and to “find” yourself. So, do just that.
4. Be productive
Procrastination is your biggest enemy, so you have to work to get as much work done as possible in the time that you have. Waiting until the night before an exam to study or submitting a paper the minute it’s due is not the way you should go about completing your work. College is a place where you are supposed to be developing skills that can contribute to the ways in which you will conduct your life in the real world.
5. Budget
Touching upon what I mentioned above, college is a time when you will develop skills and practices that you will implement in the “real world.” You need to make sure you watch the amount of money that you spend. Your parents won’t be monitoring monitoring how much you spend for the rest of your life, so be thankful you have them to put the breaks on for you now. Listen to their screams about the credit card bill and the surplus of uber charges—they know what they’re talking about.