Freshman Year of College Reflection & Advice

 

1. Academic 

I’d heard a lot about the academic adjustment between high school and college so here’s my honest take- study what you like and it’s not that hard. Also, get a planner. Mine was a very detailed planner that I maintained throughout the year and it was essential to keeping me on track. I was a little nervous coming into my first semester because a) it was my first semester and b) I was taking 15 credits. If there’s one thing I learned from taking 15 credits my first semester, it’s that what the credits are is way more relevant in determining your workload than how many you’re taking. I took several general education courses my first semester so despite being 15 credits, the workload was pretty light. I used this spare time to get involved on campus, but more on that later. Second semester I again took 15 credits, but this time with much more challenging content. Second semester taught me two things 1) use the resources provided to you and 2) learn what it takes to set yourself apart early. 

1. More on resources: I learned that the best studying tool is actually doing, so take full advantage of the past exams professors often post as practice exams. Do them all, and maybe even twice. 
2. More on setting yourself apart: I also learned what I had wished wasn’t true- reading the textbook is a major help to getting an A. Many professors have a “quota” of sorts of how many students they want to receive an A, B, C, etc. so to set yourself apart and earn that A, you really need to master the material more than most. Unfortunately, that often means knowing the small details from the textbook that the rest of the class who only attended the lectures missed. I know reading a textbook can be time consuming, but if you really want that A, you’re going to have to put in the work. 

My final note on academics in college is that to remember just about everyone is stressed about what to study, particularly during you’re first year. I already know more people who changed their major than not. I recommend using the general education courses you have to take as an opportunity to figure out what you like and what you don’t. Always remember every subject you don’t enjoy is a stepping stone to the ones you do. 

2. Social

Starting college during corona is interesting to say the least. I had a roommate who I got along really well with so we were able to navigate making friends together, making it a much less daunting task. My advice would be to put yourself out there. Perhaps this year that advice isn’t particularly apt, but to anyone reading this not in a pandemic please put yourself out there and the sooner the better. I recommend living in a dorm your freshman year and leaving your door open the first few days. Remember everyone there (or at least many) is new and wants friends too, so truly no one is “above” anyone else. I chose not to rush a sorority with a fear I would regret this choice but I can honestly say I don’t. I have nothing against greek life and I think it’s a great fit for some people, but it’s definitely not the only way of making friends in college. Just keep in mind greek life is structured for people to make friends fast so don’t feel left out or stressed if you don’t get involved in greek life and feel like everyone else is making friends faster than you. College is filled with all sorts of people and if you reach out to enough, you’ll find your people. Also, definitely take advantage of how close people live to each other. Ask someone if they want to walk with you to class or grab lunch together. It can be scary, but it’s often worth it. 

3. Gym

My hectic second semester definitely took a toll on how active I was. I think the key to staying active in college is having a gym buddy and planning out when and where you are going to work out. If I don’t make a plan, it doesn’t happen. Also there are loads of options to get in some activity in college. There’s gyms many of which offer classes (often at no charge for students), there’s paths to run/walk on, many schools with large stadiums leave them open for students to work out in, and there’s intramural teams. I think college is a perfect time to find some sort of physical activity that you actually enjoy. There’s really no need to go on grueling runs if that's not something you enjoy. So try a dance class, I even went to a karate club lesson despite having no experience, and see what sticks. Try something new and worst case scenario you still got a workout in.

4. Eating Healthy and Drinking Water

Eating healthy is hard. I personally opted out of having a meal plan (an option I would recommend anyone considering; you can save a lot of money that way depending on your diet) so the transition to buying a weeks worth of groceries for myself was interesting. I found that if I keep something unhealthy in my dorm, I will eat it so I choose not to buy junky food.  If I really want a cookie one day, I just buy one. This is more expensive (at least on a per cookie metric) than buying a pack but at least it means I only eat one. Cooking in the dorm is also an interesting experience. I had a microwave and mini fridge in my room as well as a kitchen at the end of the hall (which I avoided like the plague). Most of my meals were salads, wraps, quesadillas, veggie burgers, eggs, or pasta (cooked in the microwave). I also ate chia seed pudding (made with chias seeds and almond milk) topped with peanut butter and granola everyday for breakfast. It was quick, healthy, and oh so tasty. I would recommend learning a few meals you can make quickly with few ingredients (and utensils) before moving into college. Once you there, figure out where you can get food on the go thats healthy, reliable, affordable, and filling. I am definitely a chipotle frequenter (as you may have picked up on in my last post).  As far as drinking water goes, bring a water bottle and keep it in sight. I recommend having it sitting on your desk while you’re working there and carrying it around to class. 

5. Involvement on Campus

I would recommend prioritizing exploring new clubs and other organizations your first semester. The nice thing about getting involved in an organization soon is that the people you meet there can often advise you in what else on campus to get involved in. Also, like I said earlier, in the begging everyone is new. At the first few meetings there will likely be others there who don’t know anyone yet. Again, I know it’s scary to put yourself out there or attend something without knowing anyone where there but the sooner you bite the bullet, the sooner you won’t have to anymore. 

6. Sleep & Time Management

One accomplishment for myself this year is how much sleep I was able to get. Life’s about compromise and college is no exception so it’s important to figure out what your priorities are and for me, a big one is sleep. I find sleeping, although it might not seem like it, is time well spent because of its affects on my mental clarity and overall feeling. Personally, I make it a priority to average 8 hours of sleep and through a bit of sacrifice, I was generally able to achieve that. 

If there are ever anymore topics you would like for me to cover or have any questions don't hesitate to reach out <3