Freshman year not only taught me about organic chemistry, applied calculus, and the fundamentals of biology but also taught me more about myself than I ever thought possible. I am forever grateful for the lessons this school year taught me and I look forward to the remaining lessons the rest of my college career holds.
It's ok to go out of your comfort zone
College introduces us to hundreds, maybe even thousands of new people and new ideas. Welcome all the new around you and immerse yourself in environments you wouldn't typically find yourself in. When we surround ourselves with foreign concepts we allow ourselves to learn more about the community surrounding us and ourselves which will ultimately make us better leaders for the future.
It's ok to be lost
Many freshman experience a rude awakening during their first year of college, often stemming from questioning if they're good enough to be at their school or questioning if they made the right choice of major. These questions and any other form of self-doubt is normal, no one is 100% set on their path and sometimes we realize we're better off doing something completely different from our major. Exploring different possibilities is the best way to ensure that we will truly happy in the future and not settle for less because we're afraid of the consequences.
Self-Care is of the utmost importance
College students are often so intensely focused on their academics and extracurriculars that they forget to indulge in themselves. When we forget to take care of ourselves, it seeps into our academic performance- we see our appearance slip and then we see our grades slip. Treating ourselves to some love reminds us that we are just as important as getting an A in our classes and helps us take a break from the not so fun part of college. It doesn't even have to be big, self-care can be something as small as a face mask or a 5-minute meditation. Just do something where you indulge in YOU.
We are better than our failures
College proves to be a challenge in numerous forms, especially in the academic sense and unfortunately, many students struggle with accepting the fact that their failures do NOT define them. While failures aren't necessarily good, they in no sense of the word make us who we are. Failure is natural and the only thing we can do is respond to the failure and do better when given the next opportunity. Just remember that Neil Armstrong failed a calculus class at Purdue and still managed to be the First Man on the Moon...so anything is possible!
Live in the moment
These are the years we'll look back on fondly and truly define who we'll be in the future. Don't spend every waking second of your day huddled over your desk in your room or under your blankets binging Netflix, get out and explore! See what your campus has to offer, introduce yourself to strangers, do that crazy thing with your friends... make memories! College is meant to be fun, so have it!
