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Student Life

Freshman Year? Been There, Done That — But You Don't Have To Make My Mistakes

Advice to a incoming freshman as to what I would have done differently.

Julia A Smith

Aug 22, 2018

The University of Alabama

1182

Freshman Year? Been There, Done That — But You Don't Have To Make My Mistakes

Julia Smith

Freshman year. So many memories were made in this first transition of life. Four years designated for learning about what you're going to do for the rest of your life and onto of that making time to meet your greatest friends. There's a lot of pressure on the line, but going into my freshman year I honestly fretted for nothing. Heres what you should do and trust me your freshman year will be close to perfect.

Now, don't get me wrong, I had a great first year of college, especially at Bama. The campus is picture perfect, game day is like a Super Bowl every day, and don't even get me started on TACO MAMA!

You Will Make Friends

Coming from an out of state student, there was a point of time I was worried that my only friends were going to be my roommates. Lucky for you, you will go to class and encounter humans. Don't be afraid to reach out to the person next to you and exchange numbers. There are many events on campus to help you find your friends.

There Are No Popular Kids

Personally, I didn't like high school and didn't have that sisterhood connection with my school friends. Lucky for you there are no cliques in college. Everyone finds there people and respects the others within their learning environment. Usually, when you're in your classes, most students share the same interest in the subject you're learning. This is the transition to adulthood and you will meet your friends to share these memories you're.

Freshman 15?

Not going to lie, this happened to me until I recognized that I was stress eating. College is a change in stress level with all of the new transitions with finals and all. My advice to is with all the working you do from class to class, you will balance from the little treats you indulge in. Don't deprive yourself but acknowledge if you're eating more than usual. Maybe take a free workout class at the rec!

Its OK to Change

Either you know exactly what you want to major in or have no idea what you want to do for a living, its ok to go with the flow. College is the opportunity to learn from your experiences and people you meet during college and may change your perspective on your idea occupation. There will be times where you're doubting your decision, but you have a counselor to help you along the way and have four years to figure it all out!

And finally... Have Fun!

I know you come to college to learn, but make time in your schedule to unwind and live in the moment with your friends. you don't need to go out every night to fulfill your fun bug, and hanging out with your girls having a movie night or just enjoying some ice cream will fulfill you. these are where your memories are made and will be the years you look back at and will be the times you will never forget!

Have fun and step outside of your comfort zone!

Things I Am Actually Going To Do This Semester

Or at least try to do.

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

1215

CampusExplorer

New year, new semester, not the same old thing. This semester will be a semester to redeem all the mistakes made in the previous five months.

1. I will wake up (sorta) on time for class.

Let's face it, last semester you woke up with enough time to brush your teeth and get to class and even then you were about 10 minutes late and rollin' in with some pretty unfortunate bed head. This semester we will set our alarms, wake up with time to get ready, and get to class on time!

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Student Life

The 5 Painfully True Stages Of Camping Out At The Library

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

Southwestern University

1740

woman reading a book while sitting on black leather 3-seat couch

Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

And so it begins.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

Camping out at the library is not for the faint of heart. You need to go in as a warrior. You usually have brought supplies (laptop, chargers, and textbooks) and sustenance (water, snacks, and blanket/sweatpants) since the battle will be for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps it is one assignment or perhaps it's four. You are motivated and prepared; you don’t doubt the assignment(s) will take time, but you know it couldn’t be that long.

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Student Life

The 14 Stages Of The Last Week Of Class

You need sleep, but also have 13 things due in the span of 4 days.

Michigan State University

1126

Photo by Estée Janssens on Unsplash

December... it's full of finals, due dates, Mariah Carey, and the holidays. It's the worst time of the year, but the best because after finals, you get to not think about classes for a month and catch up on all the sleep you lost throughout the semester. But what's worse than finals week is the last week of classes, when all the due dates you've put off can no longer be put off anymore.

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Student Life

Top 20 Thoughts College Students Have During Finals

The ultimate list and gif guide to a college student's brain during finals.

University of Vermont

305

Thanksgiving break is over and Christmas is just around the corner and that means, for most college students, one hellish thing — finals week. It's the one time of year in which the library becomes over populated and mental breakdowns are most frequent. There is no way to avoid it or a cure for the pain that it brings. All we can do is hunker down with our books, order some Dominos, and pray that it will all be over soon. Luckily, we are not alone in this suffering. To prove it, here are just a few of the many deranged thoughts that go through a college student's mind during finals week.

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Student Life

28 Daily Thoughts of College Students

"I want to thank Google, Wikipedia, and whoever else invented copy and paste. Thank you."

Kennesaw State University

1725

group of people sitting on bench near trees duting daytime

Photo by Naassom Azevedo on Unsplash

I know every college student has daily thoughts throughout their day. Whether you're walking on campus or attending class, we always have thoughts running a mile a minute through our heads. We may be wondering why we even showed up to class because we'd rather be sleeping, or when the professor announces that we have a test and you have an immediate panic attack.