Only a few days remain before we scatter back to where we came from before we were college freshman. Here we are, enjoying the warming weather, busily completing assignments and studying for finals while realizing how fast the first year flew by. When I try to reflect on the past year I am struck by the multitude of lessons I have learned and experiences I have encountered over the nine months of being a college freshman. Here’s some of what I have learned and what some of the awesome people I have met along the way have learned too.
It’s okay to feel lost.
Getting sleep is probably one of the best things you can do.
Prioritizing physical and mental health equally is cool, and necessary.
You don’t need to eat everything the dining hall is serving in one meal. (Trough’s for life)
Don’t let others unconfidence and stress rub off on you, let them be and move along.
Taking actions within your passions is incredibly and fantastically sooo empowering.
(this was me but I still love college)
Being shamelessly yourself is sometimes frightening, but it’s even more boring frightening to be someone else.
Trying new things feels amazing. Like really good.
Conquering fears can happen in the smallest and biggest ways. Try to do it every day.
You are here to learn, in more ways than one.
You are a lot more resilient than you know.
Don’t take 1,000 apples from the dining hall and just have them rot in your room or backpack.
Failing an exam is okay.
Run the naked mile. Just do it. Wear good shoes and be careful around curbs.
Don’t be perturbed from things because you don’t have someone to go with, go anyway.
Smile, laugh and have as much fun as possible.
Don’t be stressed out, go day by day –Colleen
Have a good balance between being social and getting work done –Alyssa
Enjoy yourself, you can make any moment fun. –Hannah
Learn to deal with mistakes. –Maria
Nobody really cares, everyone is just doing them. Time management is important. People are going to do their own thing, you can choose to just let it happen. Eat breakfast every morning. –Ellie
Always say yes. –Julia
Keep many paper towels in your room, making diagrams and study guides is life saving, don’t bring too much stuff to school because you’ll lose or forget half of it, don’t put bananas in your bag if you don’t intend to eat them within the next hour. –Dinoswag (Jennie)
Don’t eat your friends food because they’ll get mad at you probably.-Ashley
Organize your life, your time and what’s important to you. Find your people, it takes time to find the people that make you happy. It’s a little problem, don’t make it into a monster. Don’t waste all Einstein’s money in a week. Put more than 20 dollars on your knightcard. Strike while the iron’s hot. –Nell
Join more clubs right off the bat, get involved as possible. –Lauren
Always ask professors to meet about papers and improve them. Go to events or programs even if your friends don’t. Don’t sweat the small stuff. –MaKayla
At the end of the day you have to do what is best for you and what will make you the happiest. Try not to get caught up in unnecessary drama. Be nice to everyone. Lead the life you want to live and make your own choices and decisions. If people are being annoying, distance yourself. –Hanna
Learning how to prioritize academics and relax time. Learning how to be totally independent and having to manage everything on your own. Learning who are your real friends when you are far away from home and you both have to put in extra effort to stay in contact. –Anne
Taking time to reflect and hear of others reflections makes me appreciate all that we’ve achieved in these months of being a first year in college, and makes me realize how much everyone is learning and changing and growing around me. It is easy to get caught up, frustrated and overwhelmed, and often feel alone in this. But when you step back and relax, it’s clear how much everything is okay, and that you are doing everything you need to be, and that everyone is pretty much in it together. There are so many more things learned, the list goes on forever. It just shows how those uncomfortable moments bred beautiful lessons, and how powerful you are for pushing through all of it.
What have you experienced and learned from this year?
Here’s to an incredible freshman year, and to an even better sophomore year of learning and growing.
Images:
https://www.theodysseyonline.com/movie-quotes-to-make-you-smile
Cover photo: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/10-struggles-every-college-freshman-knows