10 Things I Wish I Could Tell My Freshman Self
As I am close to wrapping up the fall semester of my junior year, I have had a lot of time to reflect. These past two years have gone by incredibly fast (too fast) and yet I’ve grown and changed so much. If I could give myself from two years ago, lil’ol’ freshman Jill, some advice, this is what I would say to her:
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Stop studying so much.
Yeah your ambition is good, but you need to enjoy yourself and have fun more often. You’re smart, and yes, you have studied enough for that exam, quiz, etc. Balance is key here so go hang out with your new friends.
2. STOP COMPARING YOURSELF TO OTHERS!
PLEASE, you seriously need to stop doing this. It’s extremely toxic and you’re just wasting your time. Someone else’s presence of beauty is not your lack of beauty. You need to love yourself and appreciate yourself for who you are in the present moment. Stop saying you’ll love yourself when you are 15 pounds lighter, or when this boy pays attention to you, or when you ace this test- no- You need to love yourself right now. You are enough. Go give yourself a hug. Be your own first choice.
This kind of relates to number two, but I felt that it deserved its own spot on the list. You don’t need everyone to like you, you don’t need everyone to be friends with you, and you certainly do not need to please everyone around you. When you place your ability to be happy and feel fulfilled in other people’s hands you will never truly feel whole. You need to find that validation within yourself – trust me, you’ll be a lot happier.
4. Don’t eat the dining hall dumplings.
Just don’t. No further explanation needed.
5. Go to more parties
Stop staying in so much. Go out and have fun in a crowded sweaty basement because you never know when it will be the last time you’ll be able to do that. Take my word on this one. (*cough* coronavirus).
6. It’s okay to not have everything together
You seriously need to stop with the perfectionist act. It’s okay to not be the best at everything constantly. Trust me when I say, nobody really cares that much, and I mean that in the kindest way possible. Take the pressure off yourself and let yourself have bad days. You don’t need to convince anyone that you are perfect. No one wants the most perfect version of you, they just want you.
7. Join more clubs!
Go out and meet people, join that sorority, join Her Campus, go for leadership positions. It will make this big campus truly feel like home. I didn’t fall in love with UNH until I felt the sense of belonging these organizations gave me.
8. Go explore campus more
Go for walks, go to College Woods, take a stroll downtown. This place is beautiful and I’m sad I only have three semesters left here. Go appreciate the beauty while you can.
9. Don’t go home so much
I know you’re homesick, and that is perfectly okay, but going home so often really only makes it worse. You’ll learn to enjoy campus more if you stay here on the weekends.
10. Listen to Maggie Rogers
You don’t know it yet, but she’s your favorite artist.