You’ve probably heard a lot of advice for wide-eyed college freshmen. Some of the most popular phrases go:
“Say yes to everything, especially during the first semester.”
“Be open to being uncomfortable.”
“Remember why you’re in college. Study hard!”
“Practice time management.”
“Go to office hours.”
All of this is fine and well. However, I’m going to write about what I’d tell my freshman-year self, some of which may be unconventional.
Your Advisors Will Not Solve Everything, and at Times They Can Be Counterproductive
Maybe I haven’t been so lucky with advisors, but you have to remember that they oversee hundreds of students and can’t tailor everything to you. As a freshman, I was advised to take a 300-level class (which is meant for upperclassmen). They told me, “Freshmen can still take upper-level classes, don’t worry!” Well…they are upper-level for a reason. Don’t get me wrong, some classes you can do just fine in, but not all of them. Some are difficult without prior knowledge, despite the course guide saying otherwise.
Be a Suck-Up to Your Professors (That You Actually Like!)
This includes doing well in the class, or at least trying your best. This also includes going to office hours just to chat. Why do all of this? Professors can provide letters of recommendation for study abroad, internships, and many other opportunities. You can’t force a relationship, but if there is one professor who could help you in the long run, stay close to them. No, don’t bring them coffee (that’s weird). But if you’re in office hours for a question about an assignment, ask them if they have any plans for break, or maybe if they’ve read anything interesting lately. The best question to ask them is about their research!
Get Football Tickets Early
Students at the University of Michigan can get student discounts for football tickets. The student section goes crazy, especially when Mr. Brightside comes on the sound system. However, there are not enough tickets for EVERY student, and they sell out fast. Keep your eyes on the dates when tickets go live and don’t procrastinate!
Please Don’t Ask to Go to the Bathroom in Class
This is embarrassing, trust me. Just stand up, leave the classroom, and go to the bathroom.
Practice Your Very (Very) Short Introduction to People
During my first semester of college, I embarrassed myself so much. I’m from Detroit, and colloquially we refer to it as “The D.” For some reason, when I was introducing myself to the class I wanted to sound chill and fun and I added the adjective big (to emphasize my love for my hometown) to my intro. Thus, I said, “I’m from the Big D.” Don’t go off script, just say the basics.
You Don’t Have to Do EVERY Bit of Homework
Hold on, now I’m not trying to promote a bad work ethic here. Nor am I saying that college is easy and that you can just use Spark Notes for everything. However, although homework is sometimes very useful, it is not always necessary. If you are swamped, please just use other resources to summarize for you. Don’t stay up another hour or two for something you can get the gist of the next day in class. College is a juggling act, and sometimes you have to learn what can be left alone.
Use Your Pass/Fail Classes!
Most people don’t use this amazing little cop-out. At Michigan (inLSA at least) you can use pass/fail for up to 12 credits. There are caveats, such as you can’t use it for classes for your major/minor or language requirement. However, I used it for some of my general education requirements such as the Natural Science requirement. Therefore, it doesn’t matter what I got in those classes because as long as I pass, they won’t affect my GPA.
Be aware that this is best used for classes that are NOT related to what you want to do in the future. As an English major, I don’t need to worry about employers asking me why I passed/failed my AnthroBio class.
You Will Fail in College. It’s Okay.
I failed a midterm for a class once. I don’t mean I got a 65% or that I performed the worst out of my peers and still passed. No, I mean I genuinely failed: 35/100 points. I didn’t do well on the final either! Yet, I still passed the class. There’s an argument to be made about the benefits of failing and how it builds resilience or motivates you to do better next time. Sure, blah blah blah. My point is that you’ll live and it’s not the end of the world. I promise. I am still able to wear an honors cord for my graduation, so one failed exam won’t tank your GPA.
Not Everyone You Meet in College Will Stick Around
This is a sad truth but even those you thought you’d be close to for a long time will drift away. It’s part of life. Enjoy the moments while you can.