So, you've survived your freshman year of college. Congratulations! By now, final grades are in, you're back home with your family and some of your hometown friends, and you're back to picking up your summer shifts. It's time to enjoy yourself and your time off before returning to school and reuniting with all your new friends! Your freshman year is filled with countless laughs, tears, and learning experiences, and no matter how good, bad, or embarrassing your memories are, you wouldn't trade them for anything. So, here's your freshman year of college, as told by The Office:
1. When move in day finally arrives and you're both nervous and excited.
You finally get to meet your new roommate!
2. Trying to make friends during orientation, and feeling like you'll never find your people.
Eventually you do find them, of course!
3. Deciding that ice cream is an acceptable option for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
And for dessert. Ice cream is always a meal option.
4. Going into any dorm room that is preparing for a pregame.
There's so much alcohol.
5. Reading the syllabus and finding out how much work lies ahead of you for the next 3 months.
You'll get it done, but it's overwhelming on the first read.
6. When you're in that one class that you just cannot stand.
It's not even necessary for your major, but somehow it's your most difficult class.
7. When the end of the semester is getting closer and your professors are trying to cram another 2 months worth of work into 2 weeks.
Was that on the syllabus?
8. When you go back home and someone asks you how your first semester is going so far.
I mean, maybe we don't say it, but we're all thinking it.
9. Trying to get through the rest of your first semester.
That optimism is extremely fragile.
10. When you justify your procrastination by telling yourself you need to relax and destress.
Just one more show on Netflix.
11. When you've been pigging out at the dining hall and the "freshman 15" is starting to seem very real, so you need to make a change.
I'm still going to have a brownie after dinner, though. Everything in moderation!
12. When you have to give your first presentation by yourself, and you're trying to prepare.
If I don't prepare, I need to wing it, and I'll look stupid. But if I prepare too much and I mess up I'll get nervous and still look stupid. Is there a ever a win-win situation for giving presentations?
13. Trying to keep your grades up as the semester closes.
Kevin's chili may not have survived, but maybe your grades still can!
14. When you have your first group project and a majority of your group doesn't do any work, but your professor doesn't give a group evaluation.
Seriously, those group evaluations are so important sometimes.
15. When you don't have an on-campus job, but you still go out and do things with your friends.
My wallet says "no," but my mind says "treat yourself!"
16. Trying to convince your professor not to assign a 15 page paper.
If I have to write a novella, can I at least pick the topic?
17. When you return from winter break and start classes all over again.
Here we go again.
18. But, you get to reunite with all your new friends!
You get to hear about everything they did over winter break, and you get to express how much you all missed each other.
19. As the semester progresses, you start to procrastinate all your work because you're so excited for spring break/summer, and it's incredibly frustrating.
Why? WHY do we procrastinate? WE DO IT TO OURSELVES.
20. When you're trying to pull yourself together by the end of your spring semester and you're trying to remember how you were able to go to school until the middle of June only a year ago.
The nicer the weather gets, the worse the procrastination gets. Senioritis is nothing compared to how you feel by the end of the spring semester.
21. Knowing that you survived your first finals week last semester, but you can't remember how exactly you survived it...
I mean, I know I can survive it again, but...how?!
22. When it's finally summer break!
YES!!! You did it!
23. And you get to celebrate with your friends for surviving freshman year (and you know you couldn't have done it without each other)!
WOOHOO! Congratulate each other, you got through your first year of college!
24. And even though you're excited for summer break, you can't wait to get back on campus and be with your friends again and take on a whole new year.
Despite all the exams, papers, and presentations, you like your major, and you're excited to progress and see what the future holds. And, you have your friends to help you along the way!
To everyone who just completed their first year of college: congratulations, and I hope you had an incredible first year that makes you excited to start your next year!
