Freshman year is a mix of emotions. It's a series of "nice to meet you" and "what is your major?" It's excitement and freedom, but it's also confusion and heartache. It's a journey we all go into blindly, hopeful and expectant but also nervous and unsure.

My freshman year was filled with new experiences, new pressures, new friends, new surroundings, and a new sorority. As prepared as I might've felt, I was clueless. I learned so much my Freshman year of college, but it would've been nice to have been told a few things a little sooner. These are the things I wish I could've found out the easy way.

Put yourself out there.

College is new turf. It's easy to come to college with one or two good friends and cling to them like your life depends upon it, but that doesn't allow for much growth. College is all about growing into the better version of yourself. You will meet at least one of your bridesmaids (if not the majority of them) at your university, so don't be afraid to talk to that girl who lives down the hall from you. She might just become your roommate the next year. 

Go to class.

I know, I know, you've heard it a million and one times. But, it's true. Going to class is important. You may think you can teach yourself, but class time is valuable information that you may not be able to figure out on your own. It may not seem like it, but being in class gives you the upper hand. Plus, college is a place where you become responsible for yourself, and it gets old having to hear the same students beg time and time again for notes because of some lame excuse. 

Be ALL there.

Being a freshman, it's easy to rewind and get caught up in your life back it home. Whether it's a best friend far away, a long distance boyfriend, or just plain homesickness, don't let it control you. It's alright to cry, it's healthy at times (and trust me, I did my fair share of it) but don't miss out on what's happening where you actually are. Don't become transfixed on the past, and don't fast forward yourself into a future you aren't quite ready for. Enjoy the journey and be present in it. Your best friends from home will still be your best friends come Christmas Break, but don't miss out on making new, lifelong friends and relationships.

Don't let a boy determine your life.

As if college needed to throw any more "new" in a girl's life, it's filled with a whole new set of guys. Cute ones, at that. If you go to a date party, kiss a boy, but never hear from him again, don't be hard on yourself and don't obsess over it. College is usually your first taste of true freedom, and many people embrace that, so don't be crushed when every guy you meet isn't willing to wife you up at first. Relationships are good things. They are fun, fulfilling, and healthy, but not when they dominate every aspect of your life. Find the healthy balance and remember to respect yourself. You deserve the very best there is, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. 

Be true to yourself. 

As the new kid on campus, you are thrown into a mix of many different kinds of people. Some will be just like you, and some will be the polar opposite, and some will be a mix. Remember that what you feel comfortable with, matters. Peer pressure, as cheesy as it sounds, can be a real thing. Be true to yourself and listen to your gut. You won't lose friends over following your heart, and if you do, they aren't true friends. 

Step out.
College is full of opportunity. Every day is a new adventure, and people will constantly be coming up with new things to do. From spontaneous trips to the Bluffs, to late night cookout adventures and everything in between, some of my most treasured memories from Freshman year are from the little moments of opportunity that I took advantage of. Go sing Karaoke on a Thursday night. Participate in the snowball fight in Pres. Court. Go to that date party. Go on that spring break trip. Embrace it. It may not be in your comfort zone, but it will make a memory, and we all need a good story or two to tell our kids one day. 

Freshman year is a process. It's scary at times, and at other times, you can't imagine life getting any sweeter. My final advice to you: love it. You only get to experience it once (well at least, we hope) so do it well. Love every moment you are given. Believe it or not, you may just shed a tear when you pack your car up and drive away from the nasty old dorm for the summer.