Today I helped my little sister move into her first college dorm room. And although she has a few days to settle in and try to familiarize herself with her campus and the people around her, a major life transition like this can still be a little overwhelming.
But as I begin my fifth year of college, it's easy for me to feel like I'm an expert in this area, and I'd like to share a little advice that I think would help not only her but other freshmen make this major adjustment.
Meet your floor mates.
This one might seem a little obvious, but it's hard to do if you never leave your room. Hang out in your dorm's lobby or study lounge. Attend hall events if there are any. Prop your door open and greet passerbys. You'll be with these people the entire year so you might as well try to be friends.
Get involved as soon as you can.
Look into campus groups, sports; or organizations and attend a few meetings or practices for things that interest you. Not only is it a great way to meet people and make friends, campus organizations are a great way to earn community service, volunteer hours, and many other important experiences. You could even look into going Greek if that is something that is of interest to you. If I could do one thing over again in my college years, it would getting involved on campus way before I did.
If you can, get a job.
For a lot of students, college is the first opportunity they have to work an actual job. It might be in the dining hall or as an office assistant or barista. It could be a job off campus. And although you should always put your studies first, getting a job has many perks. The obvious is money. And although a paycheck is great, jobs provide other important aspects such as communication and customer service skills and teamwork. I've worked at the same campus job the past four years and have met a majority of campus and worked with some of the greatest people I've ever known. My coworkers have become the friends I hope I'll carry with me for the rest of my life.
Go to social events.
Again, this is an opportunity to meet people. But it's also an opportunity to indulge in other cultures and socialize with people you might not have otherwise known. A lot of these events happen at the beginning of the semester to give new students an opportunity to get out of their rooms and get to know the campus, and best of off, they are usually super fun activities. There will probably also be several more throughout the year that you can later attend with friends you've made, making these events even more fun.
Moving away from home to a college or university, whether a small campus or a very large one, can be a difficult challenge for anyone, especially if you're going in not really knowing anyone else. So the more you can do yo put yourself out there and meet people, the better.
College is what you make it, so do everything you can to make it the best.
