Dear Clemson Freshman,

The time has arrived for you to leave home and enter a whole new world called college. Let’s face it, college is full of unfamiliarity. You’re in a new environment, have new classes, trying to make new friends, and ultimately beginning a brand new time in your life. You feel overwhelmed and excited as you are starting classes and diving headfirst into your college experience. So how do you transition to life as a college freshman? Here are a few tips to make the adjustment into Clemson a little easier.

1. Get involved

I cannot emphasize this enough - get involved! Clemson offers over 400 clubs and organizations to be apart of, so whether you want to be apart of the Chocolate Milk Club, write for the school newspaper, join a club sport or sorority, there is something for everyone. Find an awesome community in the religiously affiliated clubs such as FCA, RUF, and CRU. The more you embrace the uncomfortable and meet new people, the more you will get out of your experience at Clemson University. Take it from me, those first awkward conversations with your new dorm neighbors or FCA small group leaders could turn into your favorite friendships. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and try something new, because after all, isn’t that what college is about?

2. Make a schedule

Organization. Organization. ORGANIZATION. Being organized is key to success in college, academically and socially. You will be bombarded with more events, meetings, and PAL sessions than you’ll know what do with. The business of college is what makes it so fun and memorable, but it can also be overwhelming if you don’t make a schedule. Get an agenda or calendar and write down all of your classes and plans for the week. Making a game plan for homework and study time is crucial, but don’t forget to make time for hanging out on Bowman or playing volleyball at Y Beach. Although balancing school and social life will never be done perfectly, scheduling out your day will help you choose when to fill it with work or play.

3. Leave time for yourself

Along with making a schedule, don’t forget to pencil in time for yourself. Even when you go back to your dorm after a busy day, you come home to a dorm full of people. If your room happens to be anything like mine freshman year, the dorm full of people will just so happen to all be in your room at every hour of the day. Dorm life will be a highlight of freshman year, but living with so many people, it is hard to find any time to yourself. Sometimes you need a break from it all and give yourself a chance to recharge. Watch a movie, work out, take a nap - do anything that gives you a break during the whirlwind of the week.

4. Pick a person

Although attending Clemson will be some of the best years of your life, freshman year can also be very overwhelming. There will be times when you fail a big exam or feel homesick and need somebody to confide in. Pick a person you can trust, whether it’s a friend from home, roommate, family member, or mentor. Make sure this person can be brutally honest with you as well as authentic and genuine in their listening skills and advice giving. Most importantly pick someone who will be there to encourage you and be a familiar rock while you swim in the unfamiliar. Trust me, this will make all the difference during your first year!

5. Realizing everyone is in the same boat

Sometimes it is easy to forget you are surrounded by thousands of freshmen who are also getting lost on campus and struggling to make A's in their classes while finding time to make friends. You won't be the only one who fails an exam or the only one who questions their major. College is so fun and comes with so many cool opportunities, but when you start to feel stressed with the immensity of it all, there is probably a person right down the hall feeling the exact same way.

Clemson University is the best place to experience the excitement that is freshmen year, and if you keep these five tips in mind, your first year at college just might be your favorite.

Best Wishes,

- A Clemson Sophmore