Thursday, April 24, 2014

Oops, you're a freshman again

Your senior year is almost finished and if senioritis hasn’t hit you yet – you’re probably not human.  So, in efforts to help you all procrastinate a little bit more, I enlisted the help of my roomies and typed up a few bullet points of wisdom for your first year of college.  You’re almost there!

What I have learned from my freshman year of college…

1)   You’re going to meet a lot of new & interesting people.  The key to college is keeping an open mind.  Know what you value, what your morals are, and what you want out of your life - but DON’T let your own preconceived notions hold you back from meeting people.  Some of these people may live a lifestyle you completely disagree with, and that’s okay. Ditch the judgment and you’ll meet a much wider array of people.  (Disclaimer: this does not mean you have to be “besties” with them or agree with them, it just means you respect them and have an open mind.)

2)   TAKE NAPS.

3)   People are not going to understand all of your small-town quirks.  They aren’t going to know that you grew up with people who thought it was funny to make comments like, “Since I asked” or “That’s what she said”.  They won’t understand that because you grew up in a small town, you might still worry about some decisions you make.  Because where you grew up literally everyone knows everything about every single person who lives there: they know what sports you played, who you “dated” in 8th grade, and that one time you got caught on Friday night.  THEY WILL NOT UNDERSTAND THIS CONCEPT.  The good news, though, is that while your hometown may still be keeping tabs on you and speculating if college has changed you into a hipster who wears weird glasses - most people in college really don’t care.  They’re in the same boat as you are; you’re all just trying to find your own way.  So be yourself, and stop worrying about all the other opinions.

4)   Three words: Home-cooked meals.  I don’t want to hear a single complaint about what your mom made for dinner…EVER AGAIN.  You’ll be begging her to make your LEAST favorite meal if it means you don’t have to eat at the dining hall.

5)   DO NOT RUSH YOUR SENIOR YEAR.  Believe me, your college experience will come soon enough.  And when it does, you’re going to regret those 15 nights you thought it was so much fun to sleep over with your college friend in her dorm room.  Two months into your freshman year you’ll be questioning why the heck you wanted to sleep in a dorm room.  Now, I’m not saying don’t visit, because your college friends get lonely and want to see you.  I’m just saying that after a few times, please, please, pleassseee, enjoy the fact that you are still living at home.  It’s only for a few more months, and you’re going to miss it SO much. I’m only speaking from experience, and even though senioritis is hitting you hard, and you don’t think college will ever get here.  It will.  And you’re senior year & summer will be gone.  Soak it in, slow down, and stop rushing.  

6)   WEARING YOUR LANYARD AROUND YOUR NECK IS NOT COOL!!!! THAT IS ALL…

7)   …Neither is wearing your high school t-shirts.  Especially if they say things like “Bow Down & Obey: Seniors 2013”.  Please add them to your pajama pile.

8)   Don’t even try to act like you know what you’re doing or where you are going.  Especially the first week of class.  Literally everyone is wondering around trying to find where the heck their “Intro to Jazz” class is.  Also, the “I’m sorry, I’m a freshman” excuse comes in handy.  Use it to your advantage.  (Tip: Find where your classes are BEFORE the first day.  If you don’t have time, find them on a map, and then download the campus app onto your phone.  Much better than carrying that map around with you.)

9)   Get real comfortable with being in awkward situations.  Literally the majority of your first semester/year is just a long, drawn out awkward moment.  It’s a blast.

10) Push yourself out of your comfort zone.  So what you don’t know anyone else who is going?  Go by yourself, audition by yourself, go to the meeting by yourself.  A lot of the times if you want to do something you just have to go, whether you have a friend going with you or not.  A lot of really great moments and friendships can be made when you just try something new.

11) Let yourself have alone time. While at first nightly sleepovers with your roomie sound like a blast, you’re going to get real tired.  And probably grouchy.  Which will then lead to you snapping at someone and then it just spirals down from there.  Make time to be by yourself.  Even if that means you walk to Panera and study for a few hours alone.  I guarantee you won’t regret it.

12) Call your parents and tell them you love them every once in awhile.  They’re probably missing you.

13) Break out of your high school friend group.  Don’t ditch them, but don’t limit yourself.  Go out, meet new people, make new friends.  That being said, if your high school friendships are something you value, don’t forget about them in the excitement of starting college.  My high school friends and I were lucky enough to find a balance between meeting new people but still being there for each other.  (P.S. Don’t get all weird and clingy if your high school friends are making new friends.  They have a right to meet new people too.)

14) Keep an open mind about your old friends, people change, and that’s okay. 

15) People might hurt you, and forgiving them might be hard, but a small argument isn’t worth losing a friend over.  That being said, college is also a great time for you to figure out who really loves you for you.  Some people are simply not healthy for you.

16) One bad grade isn’t the end of the world, BUT too many bad grades may get you pretty close.

17) Go to class. You may get bonus points. You may even get your teacher to write you a kick-butt recommendation ‘cause you dragged yourself to class every MWF at 9:30.

18) Schedule your classes for your personal preference.  If you don’t get up and get moving unless you have something you’re required to attend, schedule your classes for the morning.  Otherwise I guarantee you will lie in bed until early afternoon getting nothing accomplished.  However, if you are physically unable to function in the morning and love staying up and studying until three, four, five in the morning, do that. 

19) Learn how to manage your time NOW.  I once heard it described as high school is a sprint, and college is a marathon.  Accurate description.  You will not go a single week without having an assignment, test, or project due at some point in time.  And unlike high school, these all have to be done on your own time.  Find somewhere where you can concentrate, buckle down, and get stuff done.

20) You will have projects/papers/tests to study for that you should start working on weeks ahead of time…then there will be ones you can finish in a few hours.  Be able to figure out which is which.

21) College is not high school.  It’s difficult in a whole new way.  You probably won’t have as many extracurricular events, but the course work will fill up that extra time.  While you may start thinking dropping out sounds like a really good idea, power through.  You can do it.  (P.S. Give yourself time to adjust, but then make sure you do join some groups on your campus.  You still need them for your resume, and it’s a great way to meet people.)

22) 8:30 class. Don’t.

23) Hey girls, these are not the guys you grew up with.  Please be aware that not all guys are nice guys.  Also, just so you know, you are beautiful and valuable, and don't think any less of yourself.  That being said, there are a lot of fabulous, respectful men at college - be friends with them instead. :)

24) HAVE FUN!  Looking back on my first year, I don’t remember the nights I stayed in my room and studied; I remember the nights we decided to see a movie at midnight or made a trip to Yogurtini.  Be silly, that’s what these years are for.



2 comments:

  1. Love this, Bailey! I found your blog through a shared link on Facebook, and I love your posts! Keep up the awesome work!

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    1. Grace, thank you so much for your comment! I'm glad you enjoyed the post! :)

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