Making the most of your four years can be a lot easier with just a little perspective from those who have already been through it-
1. Lean on your friends: I wasted too much time during my first three years pretending my life was perfect and that I never needed help. Take advantage of the fact that you become abnormally close to your friends at Rhodes due to the close proximity we live in and the excessive amount of time we spend together as a consequence. My friends are my family when I’m away from home, and I felt so much more comfortable after I discovered I could really be myself around them, without apologies.
2. Be nice: We live on a hundred-acre campus with less than 2,000 students, which means we are in constant communication and contact with one another. When you’re in a bad mood, all it takes is one nasty look to ruin someone elses (Stressed-out Sallies in the lib, I’m looking at you). Smiling at people, holding doors, or spotting someone for a coffee at the Middle Ground are ways to perpetuate the good vibes we already have going at Rhodes. Simple, random acts of kindness can brighten someone’s day anywhere, especially within the gates.
3. Make guy friends: My guy friends have a special place in my heart because they call me out. The great thing about true guy friends is that they are generally incredibly honest creatures. They aren’t afraid to tell you when you’re wasting your time with a boy you think you “love”, partying too much, not going out enough, or wearing something stupid (RIP, my denim vest). Make a few good ones and hold them close; they will be invaluable friendships throughout your years here (and also make great formal dates).
4. Don’t be so hard on yourself: Fact: everyone at Rhodes knows everything about your life. This naturally leads to us picking ourselves apart in fear of being judged. Someone is eventually going to talk about you in a negative way, but no one cares more about it than you…everyone else is concerned with salvaging their own reputation. Most of the time, when so-and-so comes up to me crying about how “everyone’s talking about” her behavior from the weekend I’m thinking, I wouldn’t have known that if you hadn’t just had a mental breakdown in the Lair about it…Do what makes you happy, and surround yourself with people who love and care about you so that when you make mistakes, you can pick back up with ease and can eventually laugh off those not-so-proud moments. Â
5. Live it up: Don’t get lazy about getting involved on campus and spending time with the people you care about. When you’re feeling tired, talk to the one friend that always wants to go out, and go. Try to get to know that guy you’ve had a crush on forever (best case, they’ll become your husband, worst case, it’s just another awkward run-in on campus, which eventually become more entertaining than embarrassing anyway).  Join the club you’ve been curious about but too nervous to try. Raise your hand in class when you have something to say. Graduate being able to say, I did it all- I worked hard, played hard, met some incredible people, and took full advantage of everything Rhodes has to offer. It doesn’t get any better than that!