I thought it would be interesting to ask my friends for advice they would give to Freshman now and incoming Freshman, or what they’d want to hear if they went back to Freshman year. Their answers seemed to line up with what I think too. Here’s different quotes from some of my friends:

“Don’t party as much and don’t mess up your grades, because once you mess up, it’s hard to get back on track. Once you have that GPA, it’s really hard to change it back.”

“Take school more seriously. You come in with a clean slate and you start with a 4.0. It’s hard to maintain, but it’s even harder to bring it back up once it drops. I would use my resources and know that people are there to help me. Advisors, teachers, tutors, and also fellow classmates.”

“Always keep your charged phone and keys on you. Drink a glass of water before you go to sleep after you get home from a party.”

“Do your homework. Meet more people. Get on top of anxiety. Don’t eat so much.”

“Give yourself time to relax, but don’t think you can slack because you’re a Freshman, it will bite you in the ass. Don’t do drugs.”

“I think my advice to myself would be to go Greek sooner, to hang out with friends every chance I got, and to not focus on boys at all. My advice to incoming freshman would be to be yourself, find a group of friends that will accept you for who you are, and to make sure your grades are your first priority because your study habits your Freshman year can set your worth ethic for the rest of college.”

“I would for sure say to focus on yourself as well as your grades. Your mental health comes first, school comes second. Basically put yourself before school. Second, I would tell myself that it is not a race and I do not need to over work myself with classes, slow and steady wins the race and odds are if you’re not as stressed, your grades would be better. Also, get a planner! They save lives! Organize your things and stay on top of homework! Study and learn how to. Also, ask questions. Talk to your professor if you do not understand things. They won’t know what’s going on with you unless you tell them. They are understanding 99% of the time and want you to succeed in their classes. Learn the best way to study for you. Everyone is different. Do your homework!”

So, here's my advice: High school and college are very different; meaning high school didn’t prepare me at all. When I got to college, I literally didn’t know one person on campus, had never been away from home before, and didn’t know what to expect with classes. It was very important for me to make friends, those who answered these questions. I met some lifelong friends Freshman year. It’s also important to have fun, but not too much fun. I drank my Freshman year away which lead to drama, failure, and the loss of my scholarship. It feels good when you’re partying and having fun, but trust me, when you fail, it feels like absolute crap. Trust me! So study, find friends, and keep on top of your work! Also, planners are a lifesaver.

All of our answers are around the same things. The main things to remember is to make a good group of friends, keep up your grades, and have fun, but not too much fun!