The Top 6 Things I'd Tell My Freshman Self

By Christina Crum on July 22, 2012

Photo courtesy of uvuphotos via Flickr Creative Commons.

As fall semester approaches and a new batch of freshmen are preparing to show up on campus, I am prompted to do some reflecting on my freshman experience. To the hordes of new freshman, I present the top six things I wish I had known my freshman year.

1. You don’t have to do it all. I think society builds up the college years as the highlight of your existence. “You’ll never be this young again!” and “Enjoy your freedom while it lasts!” seem to give the impression that if you don’t finish your bucket list in these four years, then you’ll be doomed for the rest of your life. Turns out, that isn’t so! You have your whole life to live your dreams. College is great, so live it up, but don’t feel like you have to pack in everything you’ve ever wanted to do before your 19^th birthday. There’s some sense in slowing down to enjoy it.

2. You do have to be thoughtful of your roommates. I had some great roommates freshman year, but they weren’t my biggest fans. Another friend asked me why, and I said, “Well, they thought I didn’t do my dishes.” She responded with, “Why would they think that?” The real reason, of course, was because I didn’t do my dishes. I didn’t see it as a big deal, but thoughtlessness adds up fast when you’re living with other people. You’re going to have to put some effort into being responsible for your own things and messes, and you’re going to have to be aware of your roommates’ needs and personalities. Clashes can happen fast if you’re not paying attention.

3. You don’t have to define yourself by your ACT score. I don’t know what it was like at your high school, but at mine, everybody knew everybody’s test scores, and we mentally ranked ourselves accordingly. But once your applications are in and your scores are submitted, there’s no need to consider them a characteristic of your being. No one cares anymore. Neither should you.

4. You do have to care about your academics. There are a million more fun things to do than study on a college campus. But believe it or not, this year counts towards your GPA. Future grad schools will see these grades. They will count (or not) towards your graduation. Go to class. Do the reading. Rock the tests. Then, when you decide in a year that you really do want to go to grad school, it won’t be an uphill battle (you know, like it is for me).

5. You don’t have to have the same experience as everybody else. Some people have a hard time with the more rigorous academia in a college setting, and some people don’t. Some people are into partying, and some people aren’t. Some people love their college years, and some people don’t. Whatever experiences your parents, teachers, and friends had, you’re going to have different ones. Maybe you’ll have a killer GPA freshman year (I didn’t). Maybe you’ll fall crazy in love and be an 18 year old newlywed (also didn’t). Maybe you’ll join a club and change the world. Or maybe you won’t do any of those things. And that’s okay. Give yourself permission to have your own experience, without comparing it to anyone else’s.

6. You do have to make your own mistakes. No matter how prepared, independent, and responsible you are, you will screw up. You will upset your roommates. You will have at least one class that makes you wonder if you can really pull this college thing off. You will have days that you want to smack yourself for getting into too much or too little. Don’t expect perfection. Be patient with yourself. After all, if you don’t give yourself a break, who’s going to, exactly?

At the end of the day, I had a blast my freshman year, regardless of the massive failure it turned out to be in a lot of ways. Feel free to add to the list in the comments. What is it you wish you would have known going into college?