I've noticed a surge of advice blogs dedicated to preparing prospective college students for their first year. And though these blogs do help in the transition process, I felt that many were deficient of the "cons," for lack of a better word, of the full college experience. This isn't to deter, but to mentally prepare these students for the wondrous journey full of sleep-deprivation and cheap ramen noodles. So without further ado, here are five extremely honest facts about freshman year.
1. The “freshman 15” is very, very real.
And let’s face it; sometimes, it can be more than that. But honestly,no worries. The first year is all about transition, which can be super stressful. You deserve to treat yourself every now and then during the experience with a snack (or several). Also, self-love and positive body image is a must. Embrace them curves, boys and girls! You guys are beautiful in every way.
2. You aren’t going to wear half the things in your closet.
At least I didn’t. I stuck mainly to sweats and t-shirts my entire freshman year (the same five t-shirts and sweats, actually). And sometimes, I even when to class in the pajamas I wore to bed the night before, and I am not ashamed to admit it. Ain’t nobody got time to look on point every day (I never looked on point because I always wanted to catch as much z’s as I could). And the best thing about it is that nobody gives two craps. They all understood the struggle of the college life.
3. Say good-bye to sleep.
Okay, this is an exaggeration. But say good-bye to a set, cyclic sleep pattern. Some nights, I’d have zero-to-two hours of sleep in me. But other nights, mainly weekends, I’d sleep a solid 13 hours. It’s all relative. But I might not be such a reliable source given that I already had bad sleep habits coming into college.
*Side note: I cannot stress enough how important sleep is. Please, please try to get as much sleep as you can, and don’t push yourself too hard. Try to pace yourself if you have a heavy workload. You got this.
4. Your best friend will definitely be coffee.
Or some form of a caffeinated drink. They are nice company to have anyways, and they’ll definitely understand you and your needs, particularly your need to stay awake long enough to take that exam you just pulled an all-nighter for. But it is definitely not all good. The crash can sometimes be bad, so please drink in moderation. Trust me on this one.
5. There will be many ups and just as many downs.
The ups will be filled with laughter and excitement, and the downs will be filled with experiences gained and lessons learned. So take in everything, and absorb this new chapter in your life, and be sure to enjoy it to the fullest. That all being said, I am sure that all of you new, incoming freshmen will do just fine. And if your first year doesn’t turn out the way you thought it would, don’t worry at all. The first year is always the hardest when it comes to figuring out who you are and fitting into this whole new environment. Be sure to get involved with clubs on campus and always try to put your best foot forward.
Good luck!
