The 10 Things I Wish I Knew Going Into My Freshmen Year

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Freshmen year is exciting for any incoming college student. You are leaving the house, you are finally out of high school, and you get to start a new chapter in your life. We are all like this, but we all end up in the same position. Telling ourselves, we want a due over. Maybe not a complete do-over, but a second chance to get that one ten-page paper done, a second chance to eat at the dining hall than spending $20 for a pizza, or a second chance to reschedule my classes. There is a lot that comes with freshmen year, a lot of information for a very vulnerable student who had everything served on a silver platter before college. For all of you incoming freshmen, here are the things we all wished we knew going into our first year of college.

Don’t Pack Everything

It’s four years or your life, so yes you need to pack a lot. But, only the necessities. Clothing, shoes, and dorm accessories. Don’t cram everything from your childhood room. You don’t need every single beanie in your closet. There is no need to pack every single picture frame on your nightstand. Don’t be that student who walks on campus with ten boxes of random things.

Don’t Buy All Your Textbooks At Once

You are a college student, you are broke all the time, why hurt yourself with books. Wait to buy them until your professor confirms you need it. And there is such thing as a pdf on the internet.

Stay Away From Long Classes

Some of you may say, a three-hour class is nothing if it’s only one day a week rather than two or three. You are 100% wrong. Three hours in one class will get boring. A three-hour lecture that you never pay attention to. You could use that three hours to do homework or even catch up on that new series on Netflix. Stay far away from these classes.

You Actually Have To Study

This isn’t high school. This is real life where you do have to read, make note cards, and study. College isn’t all about parties, alcohol, and sex. Part of it is, but the other part is making sure you do, in fact, graduate.

You & Your Roommate Won’t Get Along All The Time

Your roommate is like living with your sibling. You will fight, you will cry, and you will threaten to move out. But, suck it up buttercup you are stuck with them for the whole year. Try to be nice to one another, and maybe you won’t daydream about murdering them in your sleep.

You Are Going To Cry

You always think you will be that brave grown-up who will hug their parent’s goodbye and never shed a tear. For some of you, this could be true. But, give it some time. Eventually, you will cry. You will miss home, you will want to sleep in your own bed, you will want home cooked meals. And it’s okay to cry.

You Will Meet People Who Are Nothing Like You

College is when the whole world collides into one tiny area. People from small and big cities, rural areas, and from different countries. And there are also people with different opinions with politics, religions, and even superhero movies. Be ready to feel like you are the only one of your kind.

Do Not Take Any Early Classes

Don’t think you are going to get all your classes over with in the morning and have the afternoon free. You will regret that thought when your alarm first goes off. No amount of caffeine can save you from morning classes. Night classes are much easier to take than morning classes.

Understand What A NARP Is

NARP stands for a Non-Athletic regular person. If you do not play a college sport, you are a NARP. For all of you college athletes, take in the moments of not being a NARP because once you graduate you become a NARP.

Enjoy Your First Year

Freshmen year is tough on all of us. Staying up at odd hours studying for exams, panicking you didn’t get your papers done on time, and praying your bank account isn’t empty. But, you will always have your moments of fun. You will blink and your first year will be gone. Savor, it and have fun.