Moving away from home and into a college dorm can be one of the most exhilarating yet nerve-wracking experiences of a young adult’s life. It’s an adventure, a rite of passage, and a challenge all wrapped into one.
To help smooth out that transition, here are ten tips for incoming freshmen, followed by ten experiences best discovered organically — i.e. on their own.
Things You Need To Know:
Set Realistic Expectations: It’s okay if your college experience doesn’t look like a scene from a movie. Real life doesn’t work that way. Hopefully the ups-and-downs in high school has already prepared you for that. Everyone’s journey is unique. Embrace yours!
Prioritize Health: Late-night study sessions and junk food are tempting but remember to eat healthy meals (as healthy as you can), get adequate sleep, and exercise. For many college freshmen, your body is still developing. Give it the quality ingredients it needs.
Financial Literacy Matters: Learn how to budget and handle your daily, weekly, monthly expenses. Trust me, future you will thank you. Don’t obsess over it, but learn how to budget and to live within that budget.
Time Management is Crucial: Balancing classes, activities, and social time can be a challenge, especially if you don’t have a “haunting, nagging parent” reminding you to do it on time. Plan your time. Eventually you’ll get a better understanding of how long certain tasks and activities should take and you can plan even more accurately. Your days on campus will get busier. Learning early is critical.
Stay Connected: Loneliness can creep in at times, especially if you’re going far away and don’t have any friends on campus before you get there. Call home, keep in touch with your friends from high school, and be open to new experiences where you might meet people. If you’re struggling, seek guidance from campus advisors who can help with the transition.
Join Campus Activities: It’s a great way to make friends and foster personal growth. It also helps you learn to budget your time effectively. Perhaps most importantly, it helps you stay connected with campus. Colleges invest a lot of time and resources ensuring that campus is a safe zone for students. Stay on campus as much as possible.
Academics Aren’t Everything: Yes, grades matter, but personal growth, friendships, and memories are equally valuable. Attend concerts, art shows, plays, sporting events, etc. These are all great opportunities to make friends, build school spirit and camaraderie, and take a break from studies for a couple hours.
Connect with Professors: They’re not just lecturers but potential mentors. Visit during office hours, ask questions, and build a rapport. They might be able to help you get a research project or an internship one day. Just like in your professional career someday, networking matters. Start with your professors. Besides, some of them have fascinating stories to share outside of a class setting.
Safety First: Be aware of your surroundings, don’t walk alone at night, and be responsible with personal information online. Don’t share your schedule with strangers. If you’re on a campus where you use ride-share (Uber or Lyft), consider sharing your location with a roommate or a friend through a phone app.
Stay Open-minded: College is a melting pot of cultures, ideas, and perspectives. Engage, learn, and grow. Seek opportunities to hear different viewpoints and voices. Be respectful even if you disagree. Learn how to interact and move forward with people who have different perspectives and ideas than you.
Things You Should Discover On Your Own:
Your Favorite Spot: Whether it’s a quiet corner in the library or a bustling cafe, you’ll find your place AND your pace. And be sure to try as many as you can before settling on a favorite.
That “Go-to” Meal: The dish that becomes your comfort food, especially during stressful times. If your school has multiple dining halls be sure to try them all. Sometimes they offer different food at each one. But you’ll soon find your favorite foods — and your favorite meal companions.
Friendships in Unexpected Places: Sometimes the most lasting friendships form where you least expect them. Similar to the tips above, just be open to learning and experiencing new things and you will inevitably find some amazing people entering your life as well.
Your Study Style: Through trial and error, you’ll figure out whether you’re a solo studier, group studier, or a mix of both. So do what feels right for you, but don’t feel pressured to do group study if it doesn’t work for you.
Courses that Light Your Passion: There might be a class that wasn’t in your initial plan but ends up changing your perspective. Who knows… it could end up changing your life. Stranger things have happened.
Late Night Adventures: Some of the best memories are made after midnight, be it a late-night snack run or stargazing on the quad. Find a group of like-minded adventurers and see what you can discover. Just remember to make good decisions out there after dark and be respectful to those who are sleeping or studying.
Independence: From laundry mishaps to grocery shopping, you’ll find your rhythm. Freedom is exhilarating and you’ve earned it after 17 or 18 years of being told what to do, when to do it, how to do it, etc. It’s time to explore and to learn. Don’t be afraid to fail. Just learn from the mistakes.
Your Limits: Whether it’s with caffeine or all-nighters, you’ll discover what you can handle and when to step back. Pay attention to the clues your body and your mental health are giving you. You can also learn from others who are testing their limits. Pay attention to the mistakes of others as much as your own.
Personal Growth Moments: Those epiphanies about yourself, your beliefs, and your aspirations are memories you might carry for life. You’re in a period of life where new things are taking place every day. You may not recognize them while they’re happening. Try to journal your activities and how you felt about certain things. You’ll be amazed how your opinions change over time.
The Joy of Coming Home: The first time you come home after being away, you’ll experience a newfound appreciation for familiar faces and places. Enjoy those short-lived breaks and then get ready to “go home” to the people and places that have become your new home and new family at college.
The adventure of heading off to college is like no other. While there’s wisdom to be shared, some of the most profound moments come from personal experiences. Embrace every bit of it, and remember, these are the days that shape who you become.
Enjoy it. Recognize that you’re being challenged and face those challenges. Take your academics AND your free time seriously. In 10, 20, 50 years you might give anything to be “back in the good ol’ days.” Embrace those days while you’re living them.