It’s been exactly a year since my exciting, stressful, calorie-filled freshman days. Looking back, I’ve come
a long way from the deer-caught-in-headlights look I had as I sat halfway through a lecture only to find that I was in the wrong class, or the stink eye I received as I rode the Jester elevator to the third floor. Obviously, there are a couple of things I wish I’d known during the first few months of my freshman year. Hopefully, my somewhat newfound wisdom and sometimes awkward experiences will be of use to all you wonderful Texas collegiettes.
You’re not missing out.
So, it’s a Thursday night, and you’re staked out in your dorm’s study lounge making flash cards
(study tip) when you see a group of your fellow collegiettes all dressed up ready for a night of
fun. Now, before you run to your room, rummage through your clothing, and race back down
in your new heels (experienced heel wearers only) you need to remember one thing: You’re not
missing out. Trust me, you’ll have plenty of time to go out with your friends, but sometimes you
just have to look the other way and buckle down. Some nights it’s going to seem like everyone’s
talking about that can’t miss blacklight party, but more than likely the next time that you go out
they’ll be the ones staying in and studying. Also, if you can’t tell by your pantry full of ramen,
college students aren’t exactly on the cover of Forbes quite yet. So staying in with
some friends can also ease any money worries that come along with going out on the town.
Freshman 15 myth
“Watch out for the Freshman 15!” I can’t tell you how many times I heard that phrase my first
year on campus. Yes, Austin does happen to have some of the most delicious, unique, bathing
suit unfriendly food around (curse you, Pluckers), but that doesn’t mean you have to be worried
about every single meal that you eat. Sometimes stress and all that power walking across
campus can cause you to feel exhausted and lead you to eat more than you normally do. Don’t
worry, this is completely normal. Most people I know gained only three to five pounds their first year.
There’s no need to feel guilty about your food truck adventures, but if you do have the tiniest bit
of anxiety, Austin has many beautiful parks with fun recreational physical activity, lucky you.
Boys will be boys.
We all remember the famous line our parents would tell us after any high school heartbreak. “Honey, don’t worry. You’ll find a nice guy once you get to college.” Contrary to popular belief, boys don’t take a magical maturity potion the second they step onto a college campus. That cute guy in your history class that you spot at a party is probably more interested in becoming the Prince of Beer Pong than becoming your Prince Charming. Now, I’m not saying there are no nice guys in college because there are plenty, but relationships sometimes aren’t cracking the top 5 on a college guy’s list of priorities. No need to fret, this doesn’t mean there’s no hope in finding your knight in shining armor as you both reach for the same book at the PCL. What it means is that if you’re single at the moment, just have fun and embrace it.