Five Things I Wish I Knew As A Freshman

They say balance is key, and this is especially true for your first year of college. If you’re anything like me, you have probably heard the phrase “college was the best four years of my life”, an obnoxious number of times. This saying only reinforced an unrealistic expectation of college in my mind. However, I have learned a few things that have made my experience more enjoyable. College introduces a brand-new environment, which can be intimidating. At the end of the day, it’s a new experience and it is normal for you to make mistakes. To help you avoid some of these mistakes, I have five suggestions for you to keep in mind your first semester.

1. If you’re struggling, pay attention to the signs: It’s easy to fall behind or feel like you’re not reaching your goals. Regardless of whether you’re struggling academically or mentally, it is crucial to accept help when you need it. At most colleges, there are resources to help you with study habits and time management. At UNH specifically, the Center for Academic Resources (or CFAR) is an amazing resource. As a Biochemistry major, I was placed in classes freshman year that are often known as the “weed-out” classes. This means that they are known to be difficult, to separate the students who truly want to pursue science from those who are unwilling to put in the extra work sometimes. General chemistry was the most difficult class I encountered my first semester. However, I was able to find online resources through CFAR, and this small addition to my study plan was able to steer me back on track. 
2. Do not procrastinate until the last second: I am sure you have heard this before, but this is especially true in college. To be completely honest, this is still a lesson I’m learning from time to time. With so many activities and studying required, it is easy for an assignment to fall through the cracks. However, if you learn to budget your time and use a calendar to space out your assignments properly, you can accomplish what you need to and maintain somewhat of a work-life balance.
3. You most likely won’t be friends with everyone: This sounds like a very negative statement on the surface. However, the reality is that campus is huge, and the student body is very diverse. Everyone is coming here from different walks of life, with different goals and perspectives. Because of this, it is unrealistic to expect that your personality is going to click with most people that you meet. Frankly, it is far more important to have a smaller core group of friends that you can count on, rather than being well-known in college. 
4. Maintain a consistent routine: This is critical to success, particularly while you are living in the dorms. There are so many potential distractions on campus. Having a set schedule for yourself that includes blocks of time for private study, as well as time for leisure activities, helps you keep up with the day-to-day workload. Maintaining a set schedule also helps reduce stress and anxiety. By blocking out your time appropriately, you will find that you can cope with the busiest times of the semester without feeling overwhelmed.
5. Stop stressing about things out of your control: They say that 90 percent of the things people stress about never actually happen. I try to keep this in mind whenever I start to feel like the workload is beyond my capabilities. I focus on what is within my control. Also, I try my best to focus on one assignment at a time. I know this is quite difficult when you have a lot going on. However, maintaining focus on one thing leads to fewer distractions and increased productivity.