Ten Things I Wish I Could Go Back and Tell Myself Before Beginning College

1.The friends you make during orientation week may not be the friends you keep for the rest of the semester.

• During orientation week, you are going to find those people that you instantly click with and they are going to feel like your best friends, but once the semester actually starts, you may start noticing your “friends” fading away from you and that is okay. Losing a few friends from the beginning of the semester will just open doors for new, true friends to step into your life. I am so thankful that I found my best friends in my roommate, my teammates, and my sisters in Phi Mu.

2.When your boss asks for your availability, do not tell her you can work at 8:00 a.m.

• Of course there are always conditions like practice at 4:00 p.m. or class in the afternoon, but if you can avoid anything in the morning, take advantage of it. Even if you think you are a morning person, don’t do it. I promise you will regret it.

3.Stepping outside of your comfort zone will pay off

• I have always been a shy person, so when it came down to making friends, I thought it was going to be a struggle. If I hadn’t stepped out of my comfort zone on move in day, I probably would not have the friends I have now. You have to always be willing to talk to that person that is sitting by themselves at dinner or actually going after something you’re good at. If someone you barely know offers to show you around campus, go with them, even if they look scary. That is how I met my best friend and I’m so thankful for that.

4. Stop procrastinating.

• This is a huge one that I cannot express enough. I so wish someone would have made me get out of my old habits. Procrastination will be the end of you. If you have an assignment due on Friday, go ahead and do it when it is assigned. Also, if you are supposed to be participating in a group discussion, post at the earliest convenience because you are causing others to have to wait for you to post, ultimately bringing down their grades as well.

• I cannot begin to express how many times I have locked myself out of my room. Nothing is more frustrating than coming back from class and not being able to get into the building. No matter where you are going, bring your keys. Even if you are leaving with your roommate, bring your keys. You never know what could happen and you might need your keys. This seems like a no brainer, but it will happen more times than not.

• This seems like an easy one, but I wish someone had told me to say no to going to dinner with your friends when you have an assignment due the next day. It is completely okay to say no. Say no to that cookie and eat an apple instead. The Freshman 15 is completely real, so stick to the healthier options and go to the gym. Say no to getting involved in drama. If your name is not associated with it, don’t get involved in it. Drama is a sticky thing that you cannot get out of once you are in it, so say no.

• Now I’m not saying go party every single night until you blackout, but I am saying that you should take those random trips to the mall with your best friends, or go hiking with your team. You should turn to your roommate and say, “Hey, do you want to go buy a fish.”, when it is 11:00 p.m. Take a study break and go get ice cream or something because you need those random silly times to de-stress and take a load off.

• I thought I knew that going into college was going to be stressful, but what I didn’t know was all of the plans that God had for me that completely exceeded the plans I had for myself. It is hard to find that balance between class, softball, Phi Mu, work, and clubs, but it is essential to your success that you find a well-balanced schedule that you can stick to that makes your semester a whole lot easier. Buy a planner and actually keep up with it. That way you know what assignments, practices, games, socials, and meetings you have coming up.

• You have to realize that life at home goes on without you while you are at college and vice versa. You might end up feeling like you are one person at home and a completely different person at school. It might take you a while to get up to date with who is angry at who and the plans for while you are in town, but you might end up liking it. At school you kind of have to be an outgoing person, so you can meet new people and make new friends, but at home you can be reserved and relaxed because you already know you are completely comfortable with your friends and family. “You get the best of both worlds.”

• If someone would have told me that I was going to fall in love with my school, I probably would have laughed and brushed it off, but from the 133 days I have been here, I have come to love Brenau. I have never found any place where I can be myself and feel so accepted. I have found some of my forever friends here at school and I have already been given numerous incredible opportunities for success. I cannot wait to see what the future holds!