Thinking about your upcoming freshman year of college can be exciting, but it can also be scary. From moving out of your home and leaving friends to becoming independent can definitely be a scary jump, but here are a few things I wish I would've known (or believed when it was told to me) that can help you through your first year.
1. This is just the beginning
A lot of people see graduating high school as "the end of an era," but although it is the end of a very important period of your life, it's just the start of something better. College is where you're going to meet the people you'll spend the rest of your life catching up with. It's where you're going to build your career and take you places that you couldn't go without your degree. It's where you're going to find yourself because of the countless opportunities it gives for self-expression. In high school, you were stuck around the same people five times a week, and although you have your identity through that experience, you're also going to find out so many things about yourself that you wouldn't have dreamt of knowing before
2. Everyone is looking for friends
When leaving most of your friends behind, it gets overwhelming thinking about having to look for a new group of people to hang out with, but here's the thing, EVERYONE is feeling that exact same way. You're not the only one leaving friends behind, almost the entire freshman class is too. Everyone is looking for an opportunity meet new people and create friendship groups, so it's quite easy to make a few new friends right off the bat, as long as you're putting yourself out there as well.
3. Don't be afraid to change your major
Throughout high school, I had my sights set on one particular major that I truly thought I would love because it was what I enjoyed doing in high school. But after a few classes and an extensive program evaluation sheet, I soon realized that that major was probably not the right choice for me. You might think that changing your major may put you a few steps back, but changing mine put me a few steps forward!
4. Get involved
You may have heard that all throughout high school, encouraged to join clubs and teams to put on your resume. I thought all of that ended when I got to college because I never realized the importance of them. They're not only a shiny trophy to put on your resume and make you look good, but they also come with wonderful opportunities to meet new people, get to know your new town, and to get you out of your comfort zone! Clubs benefit you because they make you well rounded and push you to try things you haven't, wish is definitely something you're going to need over the next few years.
5. Enjoy every moment (yes, even the bad)
Last but not least, enjoy every moment! This is a fresh start to completely turn your life into what you want it to be. It's important to have fun and make memories, but it's also important to embrace those nights where you feel lonely or those days you feel stressed because you learn from them and appreciate what you have so much more! College is about learning from every aspect of your life, not just the academic side, so it's important to make sure you enjoy every side of it!
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