My first semester of college took me by surprise, in all honesty, and I am still in a period of adjustment. I arrived in August feeling ready as if I had seen enough youtube videos and read enough articles to equip myself with all of the advice I would need to prepare myself for the next four years.
I soon realized that there was so much I could not have predicted and prepared myself for that I encountered throughout my first semester. Reflecting upon my experiences, I have compiled some of the most significant lessons I have learned throughout my brief time as a college student, and advice I wish someone told me before I arrived to save me from making mistakes.
1. No one is holding your hand, walking you step by step through the college process.
You need to be independent and take responsibility for your own education. With this, stay on top of your deadlines and stay organized.
2. Take care of your physical health to prevent getting sick like every other freshman.
If you need extra sleep, medication, vitamin C, a flu shot, or any other remedy, it is your job to seek it out.
3. Do not fall into the trap of "I'll go to the gym tomorrow."
Find the time to go to the gym; it is crucial to your happiness, confidence, physical health, and overall well being.
4. Save your money! I cannot say this enough.
Starbucks trips really do add up and you do not need to go on crazy shopping sprees because honestly, no one really cares about how you look and you will most likely be wearing sweatpants to class.
5. College is about finding what you are good at and what you are passionate about, but it is also about discovering what you are not good at what you do not like.
You will not always be successful, and that is okay because it enables you to discover more about who you are as a student and as a person.
6. Your freshman year, especially the first semester, is the time to take (academic) risks.
That is the best way to discover where you are meant to be in college. Explore all potential opportunities provided to change your major, or take an unexpected class. Your first semester is the most opportune time to take risks because that is when you have the most wiggle room to make a mistake.
7. Even though you miss your high school friends, embrace your new life as a college student and put down your phone, especially at the beginning of the semester when everyone is scrambling to form a group.
Your friends from home will still be there, and you will have time to reconnect with them.
8. Take lots of photos.
Do not be like me and realize at the end of the semester that you do not have a single photo from your first semester of college to preserve the memories you made.
9. It is okay to not be in love with college.
Some people take longer to adjust to a new environment and find a sense of belonging than others. Be patient with yourself and trust that you will end up where you should be.
10. If you want to change your major, find out everything you can about opportunities to do so, and also have a backup plan.
Plan carefully but do it quickly, and reach out to as many people as you need to help you.
11. You may not find your "friend group" right away, but that does not mean that there is anything wrong with you, or that you need to change who you are in order to make friends.
You will find your people, you just might need to change your strategy of how to do that.
