Freshman year is an exciting time for most young adults. It is a time of change; students move out of their home and away from their parents who have sheltered them for the past eighteen years and into a big, intimidating college campus with thousands of other students. The transition from living at home to being a free adult in college is an odd one, and it takes students about a year to find that perfect balance.
Entering my sophomore year at the U of A, I have observed that there are some things many freshman do that you can ONLY get away with as a freshman in college.
1. Going out when you have class the next day. Going out the night before you have class is not an easy task. It makes it nearly impossible to focus and learn in class, leaving you behind schedule. Freshmen can get away with it because most of their classes are simple general education classes. If you're a sophomore and beyond, you're probably taking fast paced courses that are required for your major; you can say goodbye to that Tuesday night Bebe dress (which may even bring up your grades due to more oxygen flow... those dresses are tight!).
2. Following every night out with a Highland Market burrito. Everyone expects you to gain the Freshman 15, so going to Highland for a burrito after a long night out and before you snuggle into your dorm for the night is acceptable (and quite popular) as a freshman. After freshman year, there comes a point where you need to start taking care of your body because your metabolism just can't handle all those burritos! By sophomore year you will (most likely) have easier access to a grocery store and can start buying healthy groceries. Your body will thank you.
3. Skipping class to tan at the REC Center. Skipping class to tan at the REC Center always sounds like a good idea. Tucson has the perfect tanning weather on a daily basis, and you probably have class during the prime tanning hours, so class must be sacrificed. This is a popular thing to do as freshmen because the dorms are just minutes away from the REC Center and, again, freshmen classes are simpler so students won't fall too behind if class is missed. To all my sophomores, juniors, and seniors: spray tans.
4. Studying the night before and still getting an A. This is something to cherish as a Freshman. They manage to pull off an A grade, even when cramming every piece of information into their mind only the night before. Entering my sophomore year, I am learning that to receive an A, studying must be committed to at least a week before the test. If you're still pulling all nighters before a test after Freshman year, your grades are probably sad and your parents are probably threatening to pull you out of this amazing school.
Almost every single person attending the U of A has performed these rookie freshman tasks. We all go through the process, and we all learn that if we want to earn a degree and be successful in life, we can never do the things we did as freshman for the rest of our college careers. Enjoy it while you can, freshmen.
