Starting my sophomore year by driving to campus and fighting for a parking spot for 25 minutes really had me missing my freshman year. I realize now, as I sit in my bed in my new apartment, that I took a lot of things for granted last year. While I’m happy to have learned so many wondrous things my freshman year, (about campus and college life as well as myself) there are a few things I wish I would not have had to learn the hard way.
1. Your phone is going to die. Bring a charger with you. I know this may sound crazy, but cell phones are surprisingly important in a day-in-the-life of a college freshman. I use my phone to check e-mails from my professors, check the Mississippi State University website when I am short on time and to get in contact with my friends before and after class. Also, in those awkward length breaks in between classes when you do not have enough time to go back to your dorm or to grab a bite to eat, twitter, instagram or calling your mom (see #5) can be the perfect pastime.
2. You will not find your best friends on the first day. Or even the first month or semester. Good friendships can take a while to form, but once you make them, you will realize the wait was worth it. You are going to meet some of your favorite and least favorite people over the course of the next four years. So do not get discouraged if your BFF is MIA. You will meet the right people as long as you put yourself out there.
3. Knowing where your classes are makes life easier. Being 20 minutes late to class may not sound too bad right now, but if your teacher is one to make examples out of those who are late, you do not want to be that example. It would have saved me a lot of frustration (and a couple of tears) my freshman year if I would have taken the extra hour to find my classes beforehand.
4. One load of laundry is ALWAYS better than five. Do your laundry. No, nobody enjoys taking a basket of his or her dirty clothes into a room full of people to compete for the next machine and spend 6 dollars that should have been used at Starbucks – do it anyway. If you wait until you have nothing to wear, doing laundry can ruin your entire day, so do a load a week and save yourself the added stress.
5. Your mom misses you. My mom still does so much for me even though I live three hours away, and we never see each other. Moving off to college was a huge step for me, but it was an even bigger step for my mother. She had to release someone out in this world that had been under her protection and care for 18 years. Call your family. They want to know how you are, even if it is just a brief run-down of the day or a frustrated complaining session of why your professor is out to get you. Share your life with them – you will not regret it.
6. Cafeteria food is good. It is so good. Oh, the Perry. How I love the Perry. Did I complain a lot about the cafeteria food freshman year? Yes. Do I wish I still had a meal plan where I could eat all I wanted whenever I wanted? Yes. Enjoy the cafeteria food. One day you will be grocery shopping for your apartment and learning how to cook (or in my case how to put frozen food in the microwave.)
7. You don’t need all your books, all the time. First of all, you may not need the book at all. Go to class the first week and see if you will need it. Second of all, it is definitely nice to have everything you need in your handy dandy backpack, but it is not worth the back pain. Arrange your book bag each morning for the day ahead and you will be happier (and more comfortable) throughout the day.
8. Studying is a necessity. For some students, high school was a breeze, a nice breeze that did not require hours of studying. College is a tornado. If you want to do well, learn how to study.
9. The free gym is A FREE GYM. Use the gym while you can. It may be intimidating at first, but the freshman 15 is going to make you feel worse than a couple of muscle-heads giving you a look. Going really early before class will give you a chance to try out the machines without an audience.
10. Opportunity lies right outside your comfort zone. It is college, and it is scary. Remember that everyone is in the same boat, and a lot of people are looking for the same things you are. In my experience, the times when I started out nervous or scared ended up being some of my fondest memories.
