Ah, freshman year. A year filled with excitement, change, good times and bad, and a whole lot of learning about yourself. Freshman year may seem a bit daunting, but you’re about to start the best four years of your life, so be ready.
And what better place to start it than at Manhattan College? Welcome to your new home.
Looking back on freshman year, there was so much I wish I had known and so many mistakes I made. Granted, part of freshman year is about making mistakes and learning and growing from them, but I wish I had someone to help guide me in the right direction.
Luckily, I can be that person for you.
So, here’s a letter to the girls in my freshman dorm room– the place where college started for me, and where it starts for you too. I’m here to advise you through freshman year and remind you to not take any moment of college for granted because it certainly goes by fast.
I know you’re nervous now and wishing you were back home. Being in a new environment with total strangers is scary, and it can be a lot to adjust to. Trust me, I know the feeling.
But give it some time; college is not as bad as it seems, I promise!
By now you’ve probably met your roommate and/or your suite mates. Maybe you’ve connected over social media before move-in, or maybe not. Regardless, it may feel awkward at first to be living with someone you don’t know.
I encourage you to get to know your roommates because they could end up being your best friends. When I transferred to Manhattan halfway through my freshman year, I was randomly put in a room with other transfer students that I didn’t know. Yes, awkward at first, but look at us now: a year and a half later and these girls are my absolute best friends today, and we’re still living together!
I will admit, I was blessed with amazing random roommates, but that’s not the case for everyone. Even if the friendship doesn’t work out, you should still form some type of mature relationship with them because after all, they are your roommate.
Enjoy the times you have in this dorm room because they’ll be so memorable. Although it may not seem like it now, your time in this room will be short-lived. Now, going into my junior year, I won’t take any of the moments living with my best friends for granted.
However, you should also get out of your room every now and then.
Go out and socialize, join clubs, and get involved! You’ll get out what you put into college, so make the most of your time here! I encourage you to try everything you possibly can on this campus. There are some really amazing opportunities here, so take advantage of each and every one of them.
One of my biggest regrets first semester freshman year was not getting involved on campus and not joining enough clubs. So when I transferred to MC, I made an effort to really put myself out there and joined as many clubs as I could. Not only do these clubs look great on my resume, but they introduced me to new friends and helped me feel part of the college community. In other words, joining clubs made me really feel at home.
My most important piece of advice for you though is to know that it’s okay if things don’t work out. Maybe you’re not adjusting well, you want to change your major, or you want to transfer schools. Not everything will be perfect right away, and that’s okay. It’s normal to be confused and have doubts, and it’s normal to struggle a bit. But that’s what college is– living through the ups and downs and figuring out what’s best for you.
So don’t worry, it’s okay if things aren’t great right away because one day they will be. I guarantee it. Don’t give up hope just yet.
Lastly, you should savor every second you have of college because before you know it, it’ll be gone. Savor the endless laughs with your roommates, lunch dates in Lockes, fun nights out, and lessons learned; but most importantly, savor the people you share these memories with. These people will greatly impact your life in more ways than one.
So, to the girls moving into my freshman dorm, I hope this advice helped you prepare for the amazing journey that’s about to come. Do you feel ready? Good. Because the best four years of your life start today.