For many graduating seniors, college is right around the corner. You may have mixed feelings such as happiness, optimism, excitement, but also fear, loneliness, and even anxiety. All of these are very valid feelings that each person who was once in your shoes has had (even I had them myself)! College is a time for everyone to find out who they really are by navigating life as a new young adult. You are going to come across things that may seem impossible, but trust me, nothing in this world is impossible. If you are looking for advice on what to expect during your first semester at college, then you are reading the right article! Here are a few pieces of advice that I lived by during my first semester at Purdue University.
- Take those early classes (trust me on this).
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I know I know… you hated waking up at 7:00 a.m. to go to high school and the thought of having to do it in college makes you worried. But trust me. You are going to want to take those 8:30s and 9:30s. You will thank me and yourself later. By taking early/morning classes, you leave your afternoon open for finishing up homework or getting a head start on work that may be due later in the week.
- Professors are lowkey chill (for the most part).
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Another thing I noticed during my first semester at Purdue was that professors are nothing like how high school teachers described them. They are very easygoing and very easy to talk to as well. If you have an issue with something you are learning, or do not understand a homework assignment, then going to their office hours is the right thing to do. You can even get to know your professor through office hours, that way you can understand them better as a person or even their grading style.
- Go out on the weekends.
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Please do yourself a favor and save Saturdays as your “fun days.” You do not have to be working or studying something 24 hours, 7 days a week. You need to give yourself a break once and a while and get out of your shoe boxed size dorm room. Hang out with friends, find random house parties in the neighborhood, be open to things outside of your comfort zone and live the “college experience.”
- Choose a major you love.
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This is probably one of the most important pieces of advice on my list: choose a major you will love. Do not listen to people who tell you that your degree will get you nowhere, because it is not true. Would you rather be stuck doing something for the rest of your life that you hated and make money or do something for the rest of your life that you enjoy doing and make money. I think the answer is obvious. Sure, some majors will make more than others, but that is ok! It is more important to enjoy a career than make all the money in the world and do something that makes you sad and angry.
College is a once in a lifetime experience. You are never going to be able to go through it again, so you may as well enjoy it while it lasts. If you want to go on a date with the classmate sitting next to you, go for it. If you want to rush a Greek house, go for it. No one is stopping you! College is all about finding out who you are and your purpose on Earth. Hopefully my advice calmed your nerves a little and made you even more excited for what is to come in August.