College is an exciting new time in life, but it can be extremely daunting. It’s impossible to know what to expect and where your first year at university will take you.
In my case, freshmen year has been anything but easy. I moved 1800 miles away from home to a place where I didn’t know anyone and I had no idea what was going to happen. I’ve had a lot of ups and downs, but I’ve learned a lot. So I’ve put together a Freshmen Year Survival Guide to help other college newbies through their first year, and hopefully learn from my experience.
1. Be Open to Everything
The best way to kick off your college experience is to try anything and everything. Go to events, check out clubs, play in a sports league that’s just for fun, take a class that you have no clue if you’ll like or not. Don’t shy away from new experiences! You never know when you’ll fall in love with something new. An extra perk is that you’ll meet tons of new people!
2. Talk to Everyone
The more people you talk to, the more familiar your campus will start to feel. You don’t have to become best friends with everybody, but it’s nice to see friendly faces in the hallway or have some people to sit with in the dining hall. Figuring out the giant puzzle that is college is so much easier when you have people by your side to help you through it.
3. If Something Isn’t Working, Don’t Do It!
One of the beautiful things about college is how many choices you have. Are you in a class that’s way too hard or has an awful professor? Drop it and find one that fits you! End up hanging around some not-so-great people? There are so many others you can meet and sooner or later you’ll find your people. There are so many options out there. Take control of your college experience and do what works for you!
4. The Dining Hall Is Your Friend, Not Your Enemy
It’s no secret that food from the dining hall isn’t always the best, but use your meal plan to its full potential. Go in for dinner and grab extra food to take with for a late night snack. Take milk and sugar back to your dorm for the millions of cups of coffee you’ll be drinking instead of buying it from the store. Remember how much you pay for your dining plan and get creative!
5. Don’t Be Afraid To Move
My housing situation in my first semester wasn’t a good one, and I know tons of other freshmen who had the same problems. If you get the opportunity, move out. It may seem scary to start over with a new roommate or a new dorm, but in the end it’s so worth it. Your room should be a safe and relaxing space for you to come home to. Your living situation can completely make or break your first year experience.
6. Get Off Campus
At first, it seems like you have everything you could ever need on campus — food, friends, the bookstore — but campuses can quickly turn into a bubble. Getting off campus once in a while gives you a much needed change of scenery, and it can even help you feel less homesick. The same routine can get boring. Go do something different!
7. Live In The Moment
As cheesy as it sounds, college goes by fast. You’ll never be as young as you are right now, so don’t waste time worrying too much. Take some risks! Go to a party, stay up late with your friends, do something crazy that you’ve never done before. Remember that college is about so much more than school — it’s about discovering who you are and growing into the person you’re meant to become. Even if you don’t realize it at the time, you’re making memories that you’ll treasure forever. Make it count.
-Lauryn
Lauryn Starke 