As I’m getting ready for my last semester of college, I can’t help but think of all of the things I wish I had known before I started my freshman year. There are some social aspects that I feel I may have missed out on. Not to say that I never went to any parties or tried participating in any clubs, but I feel as though I didn’t allow myself to have much down time. Being a double major a lot of my time was spent in my room, and occasionally the library, studying and working on essays. I’m happy that I had such an amazing opportunity to go to a school two hours away from home, but I wish I had done a few things differently. While I can’t go back in time, and I wouldn’t want to any way I can only give incoming freshmen the advice I wish I had been given. So for all of you beginning your college careers here are a few things I feel you all should know.
1. You don’t have to be best friends with your roommate, but you should be civil.
In a perfect world we’d all be best friends with our first college roommates, but realistically that is a rarity. Like most people who recount their college experience, I too had problems with my freshman year roommate. The first day when we moved in we were so excited to meet one another, but then things started to change as time went on. Some of the rules that we had made slowly started to irritate each of us, because one of us would end up breaking them unintentionally. Looking back I can see why we had the problems that we did. In the beginning, I was determined to get along with my first roommate. Not meaning that I necessarily wanted to be best friends with her, but I wanted to make sure that I was accommodating to her needs and wants. While this may seem like a nice gesture, in the long run, you’ll regret it. What made it difficult to live in my room the first year was the fact that my roommate ended up talking about me to other people rather than coming to me about whatever issues she had. Although we all like to vent from time to time, make sure that you are doing just that. There is a fine line between expressing frustrations and just being plain rude. Matters that may embarrass your roommate, such as some issues they have when sleeping may be embarrassing to your roommate. Just know that whatever you say will eventually get back to him or her, so it is best to address the problem head on instead of telling everyone else your problems. At the end of the day you’re going to be stressed about classes and trying to study, being civil with your roommate will make it easier to focus on academics. You’ll have a space where you will feel comfortable, which is what really matters.
2. It’s okay to go home every once and a while, just don’t make it a habit.
I’d be lying if I told you living away from home your first year is perfect. The truth is despite most high school seniors being excited to “get out” of their hometown, it’s very hard adjusting to a new place and living with someone you barely know. My first semester away from home definitely was the hardest. Being from a big family that I was able to see everyday, and then suddenly not having them around made me feel very lonely. While a majority of my friends were going home every weekend I made myself wait until Thanksgiving break. While it was extremely hard I knew that if I went home any earlier then I wouldn’t want to go back to school. I knew that I needed to stay and meet other people. Going home would only make it harder for me to try and make friends. While it is hard to adjust to a new environment, sometimes you have to deal with a little discomfort before finding your niche. The friends of mine that went home every weekend seemed to have a hard time adjusting to living on campus and connecting with others. Eventually, a lot of them ended up transferring to schools closer to home. While there is nothing wrong with transferring, I think had they allowed themselves more time to adjust before going back home things may have ended differently. Just give it some time, unless you feel you’re at your at your breaking point. I promise it will get better.
3. It’s okay to go to parties just don’t over do it.
While college parties are one of the things I’m sure many high school seniors look forward to, it is important to not overdo it. I’m not condoning underage drinking, however, you should at least go to one party just so you can meet other people. This point is directed at the people who are intensely focused on their academics. There is nothing wrong with this at all; in fact, it’s wonderful. After my first semester of being in college so many people that I knew ended up either leaving the school, or being placed on academic probation due to their getting caught up in all of the fun. Honestly, it’s good to go to a party and get out of your shell, but you just have to make sure you find some balance between fun and schoolwork. You don’t want to be in debt for nothing, make the most of your time in school. Just know that it is okay to take a break now and then to go out and have fun. Go do something you’ve never done before; staying inside all the time will drive you crazy. Just make sure that if you go out you bring a friend; also pay attention to your surroundings. Most importantly have fun; you don’t get another chance at your first semester.
4. Don’t stress your major.
Figuring out what you want to do for the next four years can be stressful. While most people may seem like they know what they want to do, chances are they’ll end up switching their major a couple of times before finding the right one. When trying to figure out your major my advice would be to search your heart, don’t just do something that you think will get you a lot of money. I know that may sound completely crazy but at the end of the day your happiness is all that matters. Would you rather enjoy your classes for the next four years, or do something that wouldn’t make you all that happy in the end? I’m not gonna lie trying to find a job today is hard and it seems to me that a lot of people are going for majors that they feel they’ll be able to find a job after graduating. Again that may be okay for some people, but for the others with majors that have been looked at as unrealistic such as artists, writers, filmmakers…etc. it’s okay to do what you love. At the end of the day it will make waking to go to class and studying for exams easier because you’ll have a genuine interest in that particular area. If you’re extremely worried about the future my advice would be to have a minor you could fall back on but also interests you. Looking back now after changing my major at the end of my freshman year I am way happier. Trust me it makes all the difference in the end. Have fun and make memories.
