Personally, I headed into college completely blind and anxious for what was ahead of me. And believe me, I made some mistakes along the way. As I head into my senior year, I look back and wonder what I would’ve told my 18-year-old self. So, here are 10 Things I Wish I Had Known Before My Freshman Year of College.
Do NOT making skipping classes a habit
My senior year of high school my attendance was rare at best. I was so excited to head off to college and get out of town. That habit I picked up in high school bled into my freshman year of college quickly and I found myself skipping classes here and there. Which ultimately lead to deciding that I could ‘teach myself’ all the material, HA.
I don’t care if you’re half-asleep or spend the entire class scrolling through social media, GO TO CLASS. Sitting in on a lecture (even if you aren’t engaged) forces your mind to be conscious of the course and helps keep it in the front of your brain. Skipping class is a quick way to let the class slip from your mind which leads to getting behind. Another tip I have is to sit in the front row. Not to become a teacher’s pet or try to catch your professor’s attention, but because sitting in the direct line of sight of your professor forces you to pay attention in class. I started doing this my sophomore year and was shocked how much that little pang of guilt I felt sitting on my phone in the front row helped me engage in lectures.
The Freshman 15 is a Real Thing
Honestly, I thought the “Freshman 15” was just a myth and term they made up for movies. But I am here to tell you that its very much real. Being on my own for the first time absolutely destroyed my eating habits. There were a lot of popcorn and cookies for dinner my freshman year and the pounds started to pack on.
Another thing I didn’t realize when heading off to college was that no one is exaggerating about being busy in college. Everything is new and takes time to figure out and classes quickly pile up. I felt like I had no extra time to head over to the REC center and workout. But being in college shouldn’t deteriorate your health. Finding the right balance is literally what college is all about, so don’t let your health completely fall through the cracks while trying to juggle a social life and an academic workload. Just being conscious of your body and listening can help you avoid the Freshman 15.
Take Pictures of Everything
Yes, be that girl. I am not a huge fan of having your phone out when you’re spending time with friends. Except when it comes to taking pictures. I cannot stress enough how much fun it is to look back and remember all the good times and memories. Snapchat is my little trick to documenting everything that happens in my life. You can pretend to take a picture/video to send to someone or post on your story and then just hit that save button.
To take this a little further, try to video as much as you can. Pictures don’t quite capture the happiness and laughter of a moment like a video does. Seeing videos of a time when you and your friends are uncontrollably laughing about something can bring back that same feeling of joy. Plus, at the end of the year, you’ll be able to create a little compilation of all the fun times you had.
One of my absolute favorite ways to capture the moment is to use my Fujifilm Install Camera. These are always everyone's favorite pictures.
Put away the phone at night
I’m going to be honest, I still have trouble with this. I find myself scrolling mindlessly on my phone at night and then all of a sudden, I lost an hour of sleep. And sleep is very comparable to gold in college. A simple habit of turning the TV off and putting the phone away by 11 o’clock can make your days so much more productive. You’ll have an easier time waking up early in the morning with more energy and be ready to tackle the day.
I started trying to read a physical book before bed and its increased my average sleep time with no effort. I either grab a novel if I have a little spare time or try to get ahead of my textbook readings if my class workload gets heavy. Because let be honestly, there’s nothing that knocks you out quite as quickly as reading a book.
Say Yes
This is a very vague statement, but I promise your life will be so much better if you learn to live by it. Say yes to that dinner with a friend. That party you’re nervous about, say yes!. Say yes to that date with a boy you’re not sure if you like. Say yes spending a Saturday morning volunteering. College is all about experiences. Your textbooks are not going anywhere. I promise they’ll still be there when you get home.
If it’s not affecting your grades too badly, say yes to everything. My freshman year I started holing myself in my room to study and focus on school and watched my friends slip away and have fun without me. And guess what? My grades started to suffer from it because I wasn’t really happy. As long as you’re turning in assignments and not falling behind, GO. Go out and live. Have fun, go on that last-minute road trip. Experience all of life’s ups and downs because this is the time for it.
Call Home
As much as heading off to college is a new adjustment for you, it’s an even bigger adjustment for your parents. They miss you. They want to hear about how you stubbed your toe or ran into that tree branch walking to your car. I made the mistake of only calling my dad when I needed money or was having car trouble and it really started to deteriorate our relationship.
My new trick is to call my parents whenever I am walking from class to class. I usually am by myself and its 10 minutes where we can just catch up and chat. They love it and plus it forces me to go to class and stay in a routine.
Volunteer
Okay first, I know this seems far away, but at some point in the future you’re going to be applying for internships and jobs. And grades can only fill up so much of a resume. Volunteering is a great way to show that you’re a well-rounded student who prioritizes giving back to the community.
Second, volunteering is fun. I ref for a special needs children’s soccer club regularly and it genuinely is the highlight of my week. I am always too tired to go, but I drag my butt there and every single time I leave full of joy and fulfillment. And it’s a great way to meet people and develop relationships. Our dog shelter has a program where you can play with the dogs or take them from a walk and its perfect for an afternoon with a friend- or the cutest first date idea.
It’s okay to change your major
This one hits close to home with me because I was unhappy in my major for more than a year before I changed during the spring of my junior year. And by that point I had very limited options if I wanted to still graduate on time, and plus I lost 27 credit hours that didn’t transfer over.
It’s completely okay to not know exactly what you want to do with your life. It’s okay to not have it all figured out yet. Things change with the wind and you don’t want to be tied down and unhappy for the rest of your life because you made the wrong decision when you were 18. So my advice is to use freshman year to take those gen-ed courses and figure out what you’re actually interested in.
Professors are not as scary as you think
Many of my freshman courses had 100+ students in them, so I didn’t make any effort to get to know my professors or build a relationship with them. I figured that they had so many kids to keep track off there’s no way they’ll remember my name anyway. But every other kid in your class is thinking the same thing. And professors want to get to know their students. So stop by office hours and introduce yourself or make up some question about the material because it’ll help when you inevitably ask for a grade bump at the end of the semester.
Another tip about professors is that if you’re having any trouble, email them. They are human beings too- I know, crazy to think about. And they understand that things happen. Every single time I have reached out and asked for an extension on an assignment, I’ve gotten it. Professors would rather you reach out and explain what’s going on and hear that you’re trying than just not receive the assignment.
Make Friends Within Your Major
I wish I could beat this over my own head with a stick. Making friends with people who are taking the same courses as you is crucial as college goes on. They don’t have to be your best friend or even someone you would hang out with outside of class, but having those relationships comes in handy when you missed class, have a question about material, or forgot when the due date is. Plus, they make the best study buddies because they’ll be on the same testing schedule as you.
No one really knows what to expect from freshman year, and even the most prepared person is still going to make plenty of mistakes along the way. But these are the top 10 things I wish I could tell myself before heading off to college, but since I can’t go back in time hopefully it can help you avoid a few of the mistakes I made.
These are the 10 things I wish I had known before my freshman year of college. I hope they will help you navigate the murky waters of your freshman year.