Dear current or incoming freshman,
I gathered up some quality advice from post-grads to help you with your transition to your college years. In-between each of their tips, I put in a few of my own for you all too. Now that my friends and I graduated college we know what we would have done a little differently. We hope this helps all of you in your upcoming years and don’t worry, you’ll survive.
- If you’re living in a dorm keep your door open during the day to meet new people. – University of Mount Union ’14 graduate
Just remember that everyone going into college feels the same way. So keep your door open for the first week or two. It gives you a chance to meet other freshman around you or from other floors.
- Don’t stress over classes as much and it’s okay if you need to drop a class. – Penn State University ’16 graduate
We were all nervous about dropping our first course. It almost felt like we were failing out just by dropping something. But dropping a course won’t be the end of your college career. (Even though we all thought it was going to be too.)
- Get involved with something on campus. – Penn State University ’16 graduate
The best way to meet people other than your dorms is to get involved. It makes you feel like you’re more than just a student and that you’re part of something much bigger than just a school.
Don’t mess up your freshman GPA. Study hard and get good grades. If you don’t, you’ll be digging yourself out of every deep hole. Start off on a good note. – Penn State University ’15 graduate
We’ve all been there and we’ve all kicked ourselves for it. Especially the courses we decided to push ourselves through that we might not have been ready to take yet. Just work hard so you don’t have to work even harder later on.
- Call or text your parents when you can. – Penn State University ’16 graduate
Even though you’ll love being on your own and being able to leave or come home whenever you want to, they still love hearing about your days. You might not realize it now but even one phone call or text a day means a lot to them. They’re proud of you and you will always be that little kid with the oversized backpack at the bus stop in their minds.
- You can retake a class but you can’t relive a party. – Duquesne University ’14 graduate
Don’t put yourself in a position where you look back on college and regret missing out on all the fun things too.Take advantage of being able to stay out late with friends and being able to go to parties on weekends. It’s not as easy to juggle after college years.
- If you’re not 100% set on a major then stay undecided as long as possible. – Penn State University ’15 graduate
There will be a lot of you who can’t decide what it is you want to do the rest of your life. I mean that’s a pretty big decision, right? Going for something just because it “makes a lot of money” isn’t going to make you happy in the long run.
- Take a lot of photos and videos. – Penn State University ’16 graduate
Most definitely document your four (or more) years. The more you have to look back on, the more you’ll be glad you documented as much as you did throughout the years. It’s great to look back at how much you changed from freshman year to the graduated adult. I promise you’ll love yourself for it later on.
- The freshman 15 is REAL! If your college has a gym, go to it. – California University of Pennsylvania ’15 graduate
Oh yes, it most certainly is real. Oh, and what really will get you, the alcohol. Beer and mixed drinks are just as bad as fast food. College is fun and late night wings or pizza is the best. However, I wouldn’t suggest doing it too often unless you pair it with going to the gym too. And the gym can actually help you relieve stress along with keeping you in shape.
- Apply for internships early even if you don’t think you have the required experience. Apply anyway. – Penn State University ’16 graduate
APPLY APPLY APPLY. I made the mistake of not applying to so many internships because they all said they wanted someone with “experience.” Well and internship is supposed to be your experience. So take the chance and apply anyway. You never know the outcome unless you try something and internships are so helpful later down the road.
- Seriously. Enjoy it. Don’t rush it. It’s not as bad as you think. – Edinboro University of Pennsylvania ’16 graduate
Remember when I said it flashes before your eyes? It truthfully does fly by. Once you’re done, you’ll miss the days that classes in college were the only things you were worrying about. Adult life tends to be a little different, so don’t wish your college years away. Enjoy them.
- Keep a clear mind and don’t get stressed. You will make it through, we promise. But prepare for your future as much as you can. – Penn State University ’16 graduate
Take a deep breath and relax. Just breathe. Coming from all of us to all of you, it will be more than okay. You might cry, you might be frustrated, you might want to give up, but you’ll make it. Don’t give up when it gets difficult, push through and enjoy every moment given to you.
Overall, we were all afraid going into our freshman year too and we had no clue where we would end up today. But we all would love to go back and do it over again if we could. Don’t get me wrong, post-grad isn’t awful, it’s just a new chapter in your life. It’s a change from what you are used to, just like your freshman year. But it all comes down to what you make of it. So make it the best you possibly can, until you are ready for a new chapter again.
Featured image via Sharon McCutcheon on Pexels
