It’s that time of year again! Fresh faces are on campus, new pledges and babies - sorry, “new members” - have (almost!) arrived and everyone is starting to get back in the swing of things. Hard to believe just a  year ago I was one of those freshmen wandering around campus with my lanyard, drawstring bag and  a map trying to find all of my classes. 

I learned a surprising amount my first year on my own and there are definitely things I wish I would’ve known. So to all of my lovely first-year students that are trying to  figure out this whole college thing, I now pass my knowledge along to you.

1. Who you become “best friends” with during Welcome Week, will most likely not be your friends after fall semester. Everyone wants to make friends right away, but chances are  you will find you don’t have much in common after the first few weeks. It’s okay to let some  relationships fade away, but you never know who you’ll see on campus or in classes later so try  to end on a good note!

2. Professors actually do care about you - if you actually make an effort. Sit up front, come prepared, participate and put away your phone. Pop into office hours every now and then to build connections and you never know, that B+ might just be an A- come grade time or an internship might just come your way.

3. Don’t be afraid to withdraw from a class if you know you’re going to do poorly. College is hard, and transitioning to life on your own, making friends, pledging and joining clubs can seem like the most important things your first semester here. You can’t forget what we are ultimately here for: to get an education so you’re not stuck flipping burgers for the rest of your life.

If you’ve  done as much as you possibly can to get your grade up and it’s still not looking great, take the W. It’ll be a hell of a lot better than tanking your GPA your first semester and spending the rest  of your collegiate career building it back up. 

4. Don’t hesitate to ask for help when you need it. Sometimes, we all just need a hand. You’re in
charge of your life now and no one is going to hold your hand for you and tell you what to do  anymore. There are so many resources and people on campus to help you; you just need to take the first step. 

5. There is a very good chance that your major will change; not everyone can be a doctor or a 
lawyer. During my first semester I realized that a chemistry degree and pharmacy school just was not happening and I felt at such a loss.

After talking with friends and family and really thinking about what I was good at and enjoyed, I decided to take another path and I couldn’t be  happier. Being in a major that you love makes all of the difference when it comes to courses and  building relationships with professionals in that field. 

6. The Freshman 15 is a very real thing. Mesa and McDonald’s late night runs are fine every once 
in a while, but making it a frequent occurrence will catch up with you quickly. Most things you consume have a lot more calories than you think. The rec center is free, so get a friend and get into a routine of going and holding each other accountable to it. You’ll thank yourselves later. 

7. You will mess up, make mistakes and be embarrassed by your actions at some point. Own up to your mistakes, apologize and move on. There will be times when you have just a little too much fun on a night out or don’t study enough for a quiz, but dwelling on these issues is only  going to make them worse. So live with “no ragrets”, change your behavior for next time and  learn from these experiences. 

8. Have fun and make the most of your time here. There will be points when you get so stressed 
and caught up in your first year that you forget to just unwind. Some of my best memories are  going out or staying up way too late with friends on a random Tuesday night. These four years go by so quickly and you’ll never get a chance to do it over, so enjoy it while it lasts.