This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UWM chapter.
- You’re going to mess up. I cannot even count on my fingers the number of times I screwed up my first year of college. From drunken mistakes to failing tests, I’ve pretty much done them all. But remember, it’s OKAY. When a person comes to college they feel “free” & ultimately don’t always understand the responsibilities of being an adult in the higher ed system. Mistakes are how we learn & hopefully, it only takes you one time to learn from them. Otherwise, you may be asked to take a semester off.
- You’ll most likely gain some weight. The freshman 15 is a real thing. Before college, I was extremely active but when I went to school I was no longer in organized sports. Because I doubted my athletic abilities I never joined a club or intramural sports on campus. Thus, I gained the dreaded freshman 15 & more. This was not because I lacked exercise necessarily, it was because I ate crap. I ate pizza, fried chicken, chips, soda, all the goodies my health-conscious parents denied me growing up. Remember, eat those things in moderation & exercise for 30 minutes a day. Your pants & mind will thank you.
- You will miss home life severely for a time. In most cases, you will end up missing your family & home life at some point during your first year. Because let’s face it. No one can cook the way your family does & doing laundry is a PAIN. You will miss the calm & privacy of being in your home.
- Roommates can be your best friends or worst nightmares. If you’re lucky you & your roommate will be best friends till the end of time. Let’s get real. I was a Resident Assistant & let me tell you, roommates almost NEVER stay best friends or get along. When you move in your first day, everyone wants to meet people & feel like they belong, so people can be fake. In addition, when you are forced to live with someone that you don’t know, problems will occur if you don’t communicate or set up ground rules right away. Rule of thumb, communicate.
- Residence hall bathrooms are gross. Some Universities have communal bathrooms. THEY ARE GROSS. When the drain gets clogged & you are ankle deep in water full of other people’s body hair & oils, you will get super grossed out. But don’t fear, shower shoes, athletes foot cream & wart remover will be your new friends.
- You will hate & love your RA at the same time. They will be your resource that you never use but blame for things when something goes wrong. Your RA will warn you of things but you won’t ever listen. You will be mean to them & rip down their door decorations. Please, respect your RA, they truly want to help you clean up your puke at 4:05 am.
- Privacy, where did you go? You will hear things you never wanted to hear before, smell odors of all creations & see people ALL the time. Never a dull moment in the residence halls.
- You will breakdown. At some point during the semester you f, el that the work load is too much or that your life is falling apart. All the assignments and stress from a person’s social life can be downright nerve-racking. It’s alright, campus resources are there to help.
- Some professors don’t care. I’m going to be, honest, professors are there to teach you the subject, not hold your hand down the journey. It’s a student’s job to take initiative and study for class. Professors won’t always remind you or care if you fail.
- You’ll be a very different person after the second semester of your freshman year. Everyone changes & realizes who they are. Freshman year is a time of self-discovery & memories.