The first time you step foot on a college campus as a freshman, your emotions can be overwhelming. Maybe a few people know you, and others may only know of you but the last thing you want to do is give people a bad first impression. Have a good time and don’t be afraid to try new things, but take a moment before making each decision and ask yourself, “how will this affect me and my reputation in the future?’ Your reputation in college is like your brand. Unfortunately, that brand can easily get destroyed. No matter who you are, someone is always watching you. Whether it’s in the café, or walking to class, somebody is peeping your every move. Make sure you’re portraying yourself as you’d like to be seen.
Here are a few things you should steer clear of:
Gossip Girl
When you’re looking for place or “clique” to fit in, be sure to be open to new ideas and actions. When building a friendship, gossiping shouldn’t be the way you gain your friends. It may be fun and feel great ranting about your classmate but it can hurt you in the long run.
Party Animal
While in college, there is always a party, no matter the day of the week. After a long challenging week of studying for a chemistry test or planning for a presentation, a party sounds good on a Friday or Saturday night. Usually, the weekends should be a time to relax and forget about all of the studying and assignments. However, there’s a small line between having a good time and becoming the party animal. Be sure to stay focused on your priorities.
Vibe Killer
Finding new things to do and new people to meet can be fun, especially during the first few weeks of school. But nobody likes a vibe killer. Don’t be the person who complains about everything, from their outfit of the day, to the food in the café, to the Instagram likes after posting a cliché picture. When you’ve got your friends around, nobody wants to hear all of your personal problems at once.
Social Butterfly
I can sometimes be that girl – the girl in everybody’s room, always talking to her friends rather than tackling priorities. Now just because the social butterfly is always caught in social activity that doesn’t mean she’s a conversation away from academic probation. Her work may already be complete but forgets that everyone else’s may not be. Consider others’ plans and academic schedules. You also want to allow your friends to miss you some days.
Photographer
There’s always that one friend who is camera-ready with their selfie stick. She’s excited to capture every dire college moment they possibly can. Although having a photographer friend for these Kodak moments and memories can be a blessing, they can also be a curse. Take the time to actually live in the moment rather than organizing a family photo during a party.
Social Media Correspondent
Social media is the core value in our generation; sad but true. Whether you’re updating your followers on what you had for lunch or what building you’re headed to for class, for some reason posting minute to minute activity is exciting to some people. Don’t be the one who continues to update followers on your every move, or feed into post that may harm yourself or the people you hang with. Remember: screen shots will ruin your life.