With only a few weeks before school starts the new year jitters start to slip in. Buying all your dorm furniture, new clothes, and packing up your childhood bedroom may be a daunting task, but what you don't know is that freshman year is going to hit you like a freight train. Yes, the freshman 15 is a thing, yes you will be hungover in class, and yes you will have the best time of your life. But mastering freshman year is an accomplishment only seldom get to show off. Being a freshman college is full of many ups and downs, but the main part is to remember why you are at school. In this article, I tell the true things that I wish I knew before I started my freshman year.
1. You might not be BFFs with your roommate.
You will meet your people, just give it time!
2. Sacrificing social events is just a part of growing up.
Don't cave into the FOMO and remember why you went to college.
3. Make friends that help you grow in more than just popularity.
Friends are there to not only make you feel better about yourself but to ensure that you don't feel alone. Pick people that lift you up not bring you down and make you feel less than them based off of what clubs or sorority/fraternity you are in.
4. Relationships aren’t the most important thing in your life right now.
Having a boyfriend or girlfriend is not the most important thing to focus on right now. Your focus should be school and finding out who you are. If you aren't in a relationship your freshman year of college it does not mean you are any less than people who are!
5. Introduce yourself to your professor.
Meeting your professor is a key task when it comes to class. You never know what can come from it, from a new mentor, a letter of recommendation, or just a little bump up in a grade.
6. Ask questions.
The sole purpose of the way that school is set up is to allow students to ask questions. If you are shy and don't feel comfortable with asking a question, write it down and email or go to your professors office hours.
7. Mental health before a 4.0 GPA.
You can begin to feel like you are falling into a dark routine of class, study, sleep, repeat. If you feel like you are falling deeper into this hole there are so many resources to help. Also don't put grades over mental health because at the end of the day a C in a class wont kill you.
8. Don’t isolate yourself trying to get ahead.
Like No. 7, college is more than just one goal-oriented. College is also about meeting people and making connections all over campus. If you are constantly in your dorm room studying and realize that you haven't made a single friend on campus it might be time to readjust your study habits.
9. Actually do the homework and go to class.
There is a new found freedom that comes with being in college. You get to make your own schedule and rules. Don't take being independent for granted. Going to class and studying is the only way to ensure that you are not only getting your moneys worth, but also you are not wasting time by enrolling.
10. Have fun you are only a freshman once!
You are not too cool to do lame freshman activities, it's the only time you can do them with other people who feel as dumb and lost as you do!
