Many of you like me have just started your senior year of college. Where did the time go? In just nine months, I will be putting on a cap and gown, crossing the stage on Bellarmine lawn, and entering the “real world”. Since time travel isn’t a thing, I will share my advice with you, younger collegiettes, that I would tell my freshman self.
1. Go to classSome days it can be flat out impossible to find motivation to go to class. When you don’t go to class, you don’t learn. It kind of defeats the purpose of even being in college in the first place!
2. Call your parents!From getting used to going to class to making new friends, navigating freshman year is stressful and busy. With all of the craziness going on, it can be easy to forget to call your parents. Don’t let this happen! As you’re getting used to being at school, your parents are getting used to not having you at home. A phone call a couple times a week or even a simple text shows you still appreciate everything they do for you even from a couple hundred miles away!
3. Get involvedJoin a club (or more than one)! Find something you enjoy and get involved. Take advantage of the opportunities being in a club offers and allow yourself to step outside of your comfort zone. Who knows, maybe one day you’ll find yourself in a leadership position or with a great new group of friends.
4. Go to office hoursIt can be difficult to create a personal relationship with a professor in a class of 20+ students. Visit your professor’s office hours, even if it’s just to introduce yourself. Making that connection outside of the classroom will prove helpful down the road. It won’t hurt your grade either!
5. It’s O.K. to stay inJust because you are a freshman doesn’t mean that you have to be out partying and socializing with your peers 24/7. Don’t feel guilty about staying in on a Thursday or Friday night. Taking time for YOU in the hectic time that is your first year of college is just as important.
6. Those that matter don’t mind; those that mind don’t matterDon’t be afraid of what others think of you. Be yourself! The people who matter will be the people who accept you and like you for who you are. Learn to recognize when a relationship has become toxic and it’s time to let it go.
7. It’s only a walk of shame if you’re embarrassedIf you’re a single girl in college, the walk of shame is inevitable. Make it a walk of fame instead and strut your slept-in, hung over self back to your room with confidence.
8. Learn to like coconut waterThis is a hangover cure from the Gods.
9. Take advantage of campus resourcesIt’s okay to ask for help. Need to revamp your resume? Looking for someone just to talk to? Places like the career center and counseling are available to students and are great resources all four years of college.
10. Take care of yourselfThe Freshman 15 is a real thing and it happens to the best of us. Take advantage of the free gym on campus, choose the healthier options in Barone, and make sure you get some sleep! Your body will thank you later.