Being a freshman in college comes with many new experiences, new friends, new home, and new classes with different teachers and classrooms. The entire school, as you know it, is brand new and extremely intimidating.
While I spent most of the first semester going out, studying and going to class, I came to the conclusion that college is way more than just class and partying.
1.Studying in High School > Studying in College
I used to study for tests and high school and remember how mad I would get when I realized I had a little quiz coming up next week. I had no idea what was coming my way when I came to Syracuse. Most of my Mondays, Wednesdays, and Sundays are filled with cramming for tests, writing ten-page paper essays for a single class, and constantly doing group projects with people that never contribute. The type of studying I do now in college takes days and hours and constants of way too many "all-nighters" in the library, while high school studying would take a few hours if that!
2. Balancing partying and classes.
While college seems like the perfect four years that you're going to live it up before settling down to start your future, it is harder than it looks to balance the amount of work you get from annoying professors with the constant parties going on on campus and the bars that never close.
Being able to say "no" to yourself when your friends are all getting ready to go out but you know homework is more important is something that everyone must do at some point. Considering you can go out Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday most weeks, you won't ever really miss out!
3. Having a clean room is almost essential.
Who wants to share a room with a slob? I definitely didn't, but ended up with a split double anyways which allowed me and my roommate's sides to be completely separated and mess-free. If you live in a small open double dorm, being messy can be incredibly rude to your roommate who might want to keep their room neat and tidy.
Besides being respectful to your roommate, I found that staying clean kept me more organized school work wise and less stressed. The thought of coming home after a long day of classes to a clean and organized room is a pretty amazing thing in college.
4. Become involved before its too late!
While I remember thinking during my first semester, "How much more can I possibly manage with all my school work?", I will never regret more not joining a few clubs my first semester. While Greek Life could a toll in your involvement, clubs are another way to know more familiar faces on campus and find different interests that you may have never known you have! Joining clubs and finding different ways to socialize outside of classes is essential to finding your path through college.
5. Make friends! Make friends! Make friends!
Coming from my high school, I knew a few familiar faces on campus but not many. There wasn't a bone in my body that wasn't nervous about finally coming to college and meeting brand new people and new friends that I will be spending the next four years with.
Believe it or not, high school is over and its time to almost restart your social life but at a completely different place where no one knows you. However, finding these new "college" friends that you end up spending your mornings, days and nights with are the people that end up being your friends forever.
