After finishing my freshman year of college and coming back for a second year, this is a little bit of advice for upcoming freshman. Please learn from some of the best things of my freshman year and some of the mistakes I made!
1. Call your parents.
It doesn't matter what number child you are that they have sent away to college or "the adult world", it is still a very empty space for them to fill. And even though you're probably 18, 19 years old they are still going to worry about you! Just call and tell them about your day sometimes or vent to them; you won't regret calling them, you will regret not calling them.
2. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT buy books before attending your first classes.
First of all, complete waste of money. Buying textbooks is already expensive enough for the books you'll actually need, you don't need to be wasting more money on ones you won't even open once. And trust me, even if they are listed on the school website, you won't know what you'll need until you have your first class with your professor or talk to someone you know who took the class before you and find out! You may even be able to rent the ones you won't ever need again after you finish the class and that is much cheaper than buying.
3. Don't be afraid to go in undecided or change your major early on.
It's okay to not be sure about what you want to do for the rest of your life. It's okay to change your mind about what you thought you were so sure about going into. Pick a major you know you'll love being in, don't worry about the money. If you are really passionate about it, the money will come.
4. Go on the random road trip.
If you get the opportunity to travel, do it. This is the time of your life when you have some responsibility but not complete responsibility, therefore, this will be the easiest time to travel. Save money for the winter break trip, the spring break trip, and the music festival in the summer--it's well worth it.
5. Talk to and meet as many new people as you can.
Don't stay in your shell and only talk to the people who talk to you. Be the one who says hello to people and meet as many different people as you can. Broaden your horizons. You have no idea whats out there.
6. Explore new experiences and interests.
Pick up a new hobby, start yoga, read a classic, take a class that is a little out of your element. I mean after all, that's what college is about, right?
7. BE YOURSELF.
This is an important one. Yes, college is a place where you can reinvent yourself but make sure that you don't stray too far away from the person you really are. If you are yourself it'll be much easier to find friends to last a lifetime and you will overall just be a much happier person than someone hiding behind some fake or unrealistic persona.
8. Don't be afraid of being alone.
It's okay to be single. It's okay to spend a little bit of time alone in your room or at the library. Learn how to take care of yourself before you get to a point in your job life or your family life where you will have to be the one putting others before yourself.
9. Go to the party, but be smart enough not to be "that girl" or "that guy."
Go to parties. Experience the "college life" that you've seen in all the movies but don't be stupid about it. Know your limits, know how far you want to go with someone, and don't make a fool of yourself. Please for the love of god, you will regret it, I promise.
10. Don't stress the small stuff.
Don't sweat the small stuff. You are not going to get a perfect grade on every quiz like you did in high school. You will over sleep at least one class and you will lose your room key or student I.D. at least once. But it's okay. It's all part of growing up and learning--it's not anything anyone else hasn't done before.
To sum up, try plenty of new things. Stay true to yourself, don't forget about your family and don't worry about little mistakes! It's scary starting a new stage of your life and being on your own for the first time but you will be fine. Good luck!
