It's hard to believe that in just a few short days my freshmen year of college will be over. I blinked and it was Thanksgiving break. I blinked it was winter break and I blinked again and it was finals week of spring semester. College is scary. For the first time in your whole life, you're going to be the boss of you. No one is going to make sure you eat dinner, do your homework, or have clean clothes on. It's all going to be up to you to take of yourself. It'll be your first taste of sweet freedom, but from one newbie to another, let me offer you some advice.
1. Be open to new things.
Take that French class even though you took Spanish for the past 4 years in high school. Sign-up for a kickboxing class. Your friend wants to go eat Vietnamese cuisine? Tag along. College is a time to step out of your comfort zone and do new things, don't be afraid. Embrace it.
2. But also don't do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable.
Don't force it. Don't force friendships, love, memories, fun. Trust your instincts and blow that popsicle stand if you don't get the right vibe. Good times and good people will come around I promise. Don't compromise your feelings to just to fit in. You'll find your people.
3. The first month of school is going to be hell.
I'm not gonna sugarcoat it, the first month of college sucks. It's a big ole' slap to the face when you realize that you have to wash your own clothes, wake your own self up, and cater to your own needs. Mommy and daddy can't spoon feed you anymore. Its hard to get adjusted to a new schedule and classes and a new social life, it's stressful. It does get better, I promise you that.
4. Don't overpack.
You don't need your entire wardrobe, prom dress, or a well-tailored suit . You also don't need 20 notebooks and 3 binders. Throughout the semester you slowly start to add more things as you get busier, don't immediately make a mess out of your room.
5. Call your mom, trust me, she's going to miss you a lot.
Speaking from a personal experience, my mother had a very hard time letting go. Your mom is also going to have a very hard time accepting the fact that you're not that kid in kindergarten anymore, you're a college freshman. Call her, it'll help both of you out. It's a big adjustment for the both of you, don't blow her off.
6. Work hard.
7. But also let loose
After a long week of school, let loose man. Go out to the frats, the clubs, the house parties, the movies, whatever your source of fun is and have fun. College is all about freedom, take advantage of that. No curfew guys! Go out and meet new people, eating pizza at 2 a.m. with your best friends beats getting a C on a quiz.
8. Your dream will change.
You could walk into your freshmen year a math major but realize you stink at math and become an english major. It's okay. It's okay to change your mind. It's okay to wanna be a different person. That is what college is for, everyday you will learn something new about yourself. By the end of the year, you could've gone from an engineering major to a fashion merchandising major. Find your magic and make something out of it.
9. Ask for help.
Don't get overwhelmed with school, your social life, clubs, Greek life, anything. If you need help, ask for it. Someone is always going to want to help you and listen to you and give you advice. You are not alone in this. No one actually knows what they're doing.
10. You'll either have a really good roommate story, or a really bad one.
Your roommate is someone you will never forget, whether that be good or bad. I was lucky enough to have a roommate who became a great friend of mine. Always remember to respect each others things, ask before you borrow and be respectful. You're sharing a tiny space, keep it clean.
11. Figure out what it means to be yourself.
Don't be afraid to be who you want to be. College is the one time in your life you can completely reinvent yourself. No one cares about who you were in high school. What matters is who you are now, who you wanna be and how you're going to get there.
In my first year I've learned so much about myself, my school, my friends, my family about everything. It goes by faster than you could ever imagine. As Ferris Bueler once said "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."
