As I am sitting here in the car with my family during Labor Day weekend, I am thinking about the fact that I a junior already. I am so surprised at how fast time has gone these last couple years of college. It is crazy to think I already have two years of college under my belt. It has been a wild couple of years, filled with so many ups and downs, but I would not change a thing because it made me who I am today. So I guess my advice to incoming freshmen would be this:

Make mistakes.

Don't be afraid to make mistakes, it is bound to happen so there is no need to waste time stressing out about it or letting it get to you. Making mistakes can actually be beneficial to you because you learn first hand what you shouldn't do. Yeah I’ve made mistakes and done stupid things but I learned from them and became a better person because of it. College is the perfect environment to make mistakes because we are all out here on our own (sort of) for the first time and chances are everyone else is making mistakes too.

Be spontaneous.

Go on crazy adventures! I know as a college student you don’t necessarily have a lot of money to throw around and go on trips but if a friend lives somewhere and you’ve never been there but it sounds exciting, take a road trip and see what happens along the way. If a friend is going to school a little ways a way, visit them and experience their college campus. Explore the city your school is in, you’d be surprised by the things you can discover.

Get Involved.

There are so many ways to get involved on campus and chances are you can find something you are interested in. College campuses have intermurals that allow you to stay active and be part of a team without the pressure and intensity of being on a sports team. There are so many clubs you can get involved in as well. For example; there are different language, politics, and interest clubs. On many campuses, Nebraska included, you have the opportunity to get involved in Greek life. I think Greek life allows you to meet a lot of people in a short amount of time very easily and I would recommend giving it a try. Getting involved on campus enhances your experience at school and helps you meet people you might not cross paths with.

Meet lots of people.

You have about four years to spend at this school, there are thousands of people around you, and they are all different. Meeting people at college is so different than in highschool because you have the opportunity to connect with people from different states and countries who come from very different backgrounds than you. I was lucky enough to work at a resort two summers in a row with a lot of international staff and I got to become friends with people from all around the world. That opportunity is very available on campus and I strongly encourage everyone to do their best and try and meet people from other cultures. There is so much you can learn and so much perspective to gain from others. The more people you meet the easier networking and finding internships down the line is.

Study.

I know, I know studying isn’t always the most fun but it is very important. After all, we are paying lots of money to get a degree that will help us get a job. I have always been a slacker so studying and doing my homework does not come as second nature. It is so necessary to do your schoolwork though because for a lot of your classes you will be using the information you learn in your job down the line. Also, homework and studying is definitely more time consuming in college than in high school. I rarely ever did homework in high school but in college I will spend a couple hours most nights doing homework and that’s the bare minimum. Just be careful and make sure you are keeping up with your studies because cramming really isn’t all that fun.

Have fun!

I know I was just talking about how important it is to study AND it is, but it is also important to have fun! Use these four years to go a little crazy because it wont be as easy to do that when you are out in the real world “adulting.” Go out with your friends do awesome and exciting things and live a little!