10 Tips to Make the Most of Your Freshman Year.

Here are some tips that I wish I knew before I went to college.

GO TO NEW THINGS

It’s not always easy to reach out and try new things, especially when staying in bed sounds way more appealing. If you have any hobbies or interests, there is probably a club at your university for it. I would try it out and see if you like it to see if it’s a club you’d be interested in. It’s a great way to make friends, and it’s a nice look for your resume.

DON’T ROOM WITH YOUR CLOSEST FRIENDS

From amazing bestie roomie stories to horror stories never room with your best friends! Even though you may think it will work out great, your friendship might not make it. You can still hang out and see each other every day. This is especially important if you are quite opposite. For example roommate one is messy and a night owl and roommate two is clean and a morning person. You don’t want to risk a strong friendship over silly arguments because you live with each other. This will also allow both of you to meet new people.

TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET PEOPLE

The first couple weeks of college are the best way to meet new people. Everyone is excited but scared but hopeful and desperate for some new friends. These first couple of weeks are crucial because no one has to rush yet or worry about classes and it’s the only time you’ll be able to hang out and meet new people. You’ll get to learn where people are coming from, their majors, sports, and more.

GO TO CLASS

No one prepares you for hard it is to get up for an 8 AM or 9 AM class. In high school it seemed like a breeze but not after a great night out with your friends till 3 AM and then having to walk 30 minutes in the cold rain just to get to class. In my opinion, go to the classes that take attendance and unless it’s a major specific class, do the work and pass the classes that don’t require attendance. Don’t get too beat up when you miss class or sleep through your alarm. It will be okay and won’t affect your grade as it does in high school. Something I learned that I used a little too much was that even if you're tardy it counts as fully attended so even if you are going to be 20 minutes late to class it’s better to go for your grade than to just skip class.

DON’T FORGET WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU

Something that was hard for me was I had a very set routine with things I did daily. I even had a daily to-do list of everything just to make sure. I would get up, make my bed, journal, read my Bible, do my devotional, workout, and before bed journal about what I was grateful for. I got used to this and tried to keep this plan in college but it just didn’t happen. With new friends, possibly pledge-ship, and class it gets very hectic and it’s very easy to lose sight of taking care of yourself. I didn’t get back on track till the second semester and even though all I wanted to do was hang out with people, party, and lay in bed. I got very lazy towards the end and that’s something I was constantly upset with myself for.

CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN!

Without your mom with you, you have to clean everything on your own. If you are leaving in a clean space it actually can approve your mood making you happier and de-stressed. Even if you don’t have a ton of time take the time to pick up and clean what is necessary each night. I deep cleaned my room once a week and my boyfriends' dorm two times a week. This is also dependent on how messy of a person you are. I know some boys that never even cleaned their rooms and it was atrocious going in there.

GO TO EVENTS

Go cheer on your school! Football season is so fun because you get to wear cute outfits, take pictures, hang out with people, and watch football. I’d suggest going to the sporting events that your school is good at. For my school especially we are good at baseball and gymnastics.

FOLLOW A SCHEDULE

Something I learned from a high school teacher was that he said “Pretend college is your job. You wake up at the same time every morning. Do some homework, work out, and do whatever you need to do. Go to class get lunch do more homework and work till around the same time every day. Then spend the rest of your day relaxing and spending time with people”. I did not do this instead, I woke up 10 minutes before class and went in my PJs even sometimes and would stay up till 4 AM multiple nights trying to get homework done.

SAVE MONEY

If you are paying for your college, sorority, gas, groceries, and dorm stuff it gets very costly. I know the food isn’t always great and appealing but utilizing your meal plan is a great way to help save money for the future.

HAVE FUN!

You will only be a freshman once with thousands of opportunities living in a dorm on campus. Embrace every second of it :)