It’s the middle of October, and hopefully you’re perfectly content with life in college. In honor of Fact Friday and inspired by Shelby’s A Letter to My Freshman Self, here are the 10 things I wish I would have known as a freshman.
1. Avoid 8 AMs (if you can). You may have made it on time to school every day at 8 in high school, but college is another story. Pick the 10 AM over the 8 AM and make time for naps.
2. The first group of friends you meet doesn’t have to be your friend group the whole year. The girl you met at orientation may be your go-to cafe date the first week of school, but that doesn’t mean she’ll be the only friend you have. If you don’t click with the friends you have, go out and make new ones!
3. You’re going to lose some of your high school friends…and that’s okay. You might realize that you were only friends with some people because you saw them five times a week. Friends come and go, and if they care enough, they’ll make sure to show it.
4. Wednesday night’s dollar bottles may seem like a good idea at the time, but Thursday’s 9:25 class says otherwise.
5. No matter how much you and your parents didn’t get along before college, there will be times when they’re the only people you want to talk to. Give them a call here and there to tell them how you’ve been. It’ll feel great talking to people who care and it means more to them than you could imagine.
6. You’re (more than likely) not going to meet your knight in shining armor at 1:00 AM on a Saturday morning in a crowded basement with sticky floors. Save the romance for another time.
7. With that being said, don’t take it personally when you get rejected. For many boys, college is “a time to have fun.” Some boys just aren’t looking for a relationship.
8. Prioritize your time! Classes are hard and times to meet for a group project are more difficult to schedule than a wedding. Get your planner. Use your planner. Memorize your planner. Become one with your planner. If not, you’ll be up at 3 AM trying to study for your math exam while working on a ten page paper that was assigned weeks before.
9. Eat healthier than usual to avoid the freshman 15. It is a real thing and it’s not fun.
10. Whoever said high school is the best four years of your life clearly never went to college. The stress may be insane, but the four years of college will fly by. It’s a scary transition from high school to college, but it’s something unforgettable.