With graduation approaching, and high school seniors committing to universities, we will soon have many new freshman on our campus here at UCSB. As a freshman, most people are completely lost. Hopefully, incoming Gauchos can be enlightened by these few bits of knowledge, and maybe even avoid blatantly looking like the new kid wandering on DP.
Throughout life we are given advice constantly, especially as we prepare to enter college. Day in and day out we hear: work hard, enjoy the little things, smile, listen to your heart, etc. The list goes on and on. While some advice goes in one ear and out the other, there are some cliché pieces of wisdom that we, as college women, should really listen to.
Starting on a somewhat scholarly note, an important piece of wisdom to keep buried in the back of your mind is to always follow through. With newfound freedom, college really gives us the opportunity to slack off and mess up big time. No one is telling us to get out of bed, go to class, or finish our homework. It’s really up to us to do well in classes—and life in general. So this piece of advice is really crucial to our success in college. If we learn now to follow through, we’ll have this great quality for the rest of our lives. It can help us succeed in college and work field, as well as in our friendships and relationships.
On the social front, a great little piece of advice one should listen to is talk to everyone. This one is a little more general but still a great suggestion. Going into college, you’re sure to have heard a million times that everyone is looking for friends and wants to talk to you. Well, this is one hundred percent true! College should be a new outlet for friends and potential boyfriends. You’d be so surprised how responsive people are if you say hi when you sit next to them in lecture or while you’re at the gym. The more people you know, the more a part of the college you’ll feel and it really makes a big difference in the experience.
Our parents are constantly telling us we can be whatever we want to be. Most of the time, we just pretend to listen to them because we think they are telling this to us because we’re their children. But you can be whatever you choose to be and college is really the time to figure out what it is you want out of life. You can take classes that teach you about making films, working in medical offices or performing field research. The point is that there are a vast amount of options in college and they’re all open to you. Don’t do something you because it makes a lot of money or because your parents have a dream for you; find what you like and what is going to make you happy for the rest of your life!
But, if there is one last piece of advice you must take away, it would be to have fun. In truth, college is the best time of your life. You’re going to make friends who will be at your wedding, you’re going to figure out your passion for your career, and you’re going to learn more about yourself as a person than at any other point in your life. Enjoy every moment and don’t let the little things get to you.