The Things I Learned Freshman Year

My freshman year of college is slowly coming to an end, and while most people would view that as something happy, I can’t help but look back on all the things I wish I could have told myself this year. Yes, it is that time of the year when the sappy 'I did this' posts come. Sorry about it.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Many people say it, few take it seriously. I know, I was one of those people. Over the last month I have been going to different people who have gone through everything that I am right now and asking them how they did it. I am a firm believer that the ‘scary upperclassmen’ can be more useful than your professor sometimes. Don’t get me wrong, your professors are an excellent source of knowledge, but sometimes they struggle to dumb the answer down and make it so you can understand it.

School is important, but so are you. This is something that took me the longest to figure out. I am a music major. I spend most of my time in a practice room, preparing for one credit classes that are all applied learning. There is never a time when I couldn’t be practicing.. But sometimes I shouldn’t be practicing.

There have been many instances when I was preparing for my vocal or piano final, and I found myself crying in the practice rooms from all the stress. I didn’t realize that there are moments when you need to prioritize yourself and what you need over the work that is being asked of you.

Half-assed is better than not at all. As someone who came to college expecting to maintain my high academic honors, it felt like I was hit by a train when I received my first semester ‘check-in’ grades. They were much lower than I was expecting because I was so used to how easy things were through high school. I was one of the students that never had to study because I paid attention in my classes and was able to understand the material, thus allowing me to put in minimal effort and still receive maximum results.

That is sooooooo not the case in college. I felt like there was never a moment for me to catch my breath, but I was told something that really resonated with me. Half-assed work is better than nothing at all. It took me a little to really understand why.

There are many different assignments that make up your grade. Most of my classes rely on practicing (homework). If you don’t do the practice, you won’t get the desired grade. This caused me a ton of added stress and in the end, I ended up neglecting my homework because I thought it was the best way to avoid my stress… WRONG! There ended up being zeros in the grade book where there could have been something. This ultimately led to me having to catch up, ask for extra credit (God bless these professors for being so chill), and work like hell to get a certain grade on my finals to continue in my classes. So do the work, even if ‘doing the work’ means only doing some. Remember, even a 45 is better than a 0.

You don’t need to be best friends with your first roommate. My first semester was in short, a disaster. My roommate was not the same person that had been talking to me for months leading up to move in. She was controlling, manipulative, and in the words of many of my friends: crazy. She moved out not long into our second month on campus, claiming that I  was the toxic one.

I went for a long time without a roommate, and that was okay.. But when I found out I had a new one for the spring semester I was a little scared. I could NOT go through this all over again. I was terrified to come back after Christmas break to someone I don’t know in my room, my safe space. But I honestly don’t know what there was to be afraid of. My current roommate and I get along really well. We stay up at night watching FRIENDS, had ‘bachelor Mondays’, and use each other as complaint boxes. If I knew going random would be this good, I would have done it from the start! She made the last few months of our first year pretty great, and I owe her a lot.

Keep the high school momentos at home, save the space for more useful things. I know it seems tempting to bring those comforting stuffed animals, the pictures from your freshman year soccer team, the random sash you got for being on homecoming court.. Don’t get me wrong, if it is really important to you, bring it. It’s so important to have a few things that make the block of a room feel like home. I had a picture wall of all the people I loved and a few things here and there that made me feel happy when I was really low. But leave the things you don’t absolutely see yourself needing at home.

Your room is small. I don’t care where you go, freshman dorms are always small. We had a private bathroom, and I still felt like I was suffocating sometimes. You don’t need things from your past clogging up the space for your future. It’s important to prioritize. You (and your roommate) will thank me when you have to pack it all up to move out.

Not everyone is there to build you up. This was one of the first things I learned while being here. There are going to be a ton of people that come into your life that make it seem like they have the best intentions and only want you to succeed.. But that can be far from the truth.

When you have a competitive major, it’s normal for there to be a bit of competition. But when the competition takes precedence over the things you are supposed to be learning.. That’s not good. The competition between everyone can fuel you to work harder, but it may also be your downfall.

You may hear people saying things about you that you weren’t supposed to hear. Be prepared for it. It will hurt, you’ll be upset, but their opinion ultimately doesn’t matter. Focus on the things you know about yourself, on the things your professors tell you, and everything else can be forgotten.

It’s okay to miss home, but don’t forget why you left. You are out here trying to make a future, a life for yourself. You will miss home. Some days more than others, and it can be because the most random things. I remember crying because everyone was going home to see the high school’s fall musical and I was stuck on campus. If you have the opportunity to go home, GO HOME.

Take advantage of phone calls, FaceTimes, and texts. You probably won’t stay as close with friends as you were before you graduated, but they are still there when you need them. You have a whole new campus to explore with so many new people surrounding you. Embrace the new and dive right into things. No one is going to be mad about you wanting to try something (within reason.. Please don’t jump off buildings without a parachute..) because they were once in your shoes.

Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. I have made some of my best friends by doing things I never thought I would do. You have to have an open mind and be willing to branch out. This isn’t high school, you won’t have teacher on your tail telling you to get involved and do things. It’s on you.

I joined Greek life and I couldn’t be happier. I have a group of friends that I know I can go to with anything. We all work towards a common goal, and we have a TON of common interests. Talk to the people that work in your common areas, your RA, or even your professors. They are going to be great resources later on and they will appreciate you making an effort that many others fail to do because they’re too scare to. Embrace the fear and step out of the box. Great things are on the horizon.

So as I sit and watch my roommate pack her things and load them into her car, I can’t help but be grateful for the wild freshman year I have had. Between things happening at home and here, I have had prime opportunity to figure out so many things. I began working on the person I want to be, I have made differences in other people’s lives, and I found the things I was passionate about.

You learn so much in your first year, and I am so glad I had the opportunity to do so with some of the best people. In the words of an internet meme, “Stay fresh, cheese bags”

BWH209

BWH motto 2019