You guys, I’m getting old. A few days ago I visited my high school and suddenly all those kids have just magically turned into seniors. So I’m now going to do what all old people do — give you advice on how to lead your life because apparently spending a year as a freshman at college makes me wise.
1. Don’t let people intimidate you.
There are going to be people here, not just professors but also other students, who will have done amazing things and led incredible lives. Respect what they’ve achieved but don’t be afraid of them. If you make a connection, these are people who could make your college experience. Go talk to them! For people who spend so much of their lives being held in awe, you (the lowly freshman) might just be a refreshing change.
2. You’re going to face rejection, lots of it.
You might not get the first few club positions or jobs you apply for. It might seem like everything’s going wrong, until it suddenly turns around. Keep trying, and suddenly the responses will change from no to yes. Before you know it, you’ll be doing way too much. Just don’t give up before you have a chance to realize what you’re really capable of.
3. It’s not going to be straight A’s anymore.
You might fail a test or get a C on a paper. You might fail multiple tests. So when it’s time for the next one, don’t overwork yourself into a coffee-induced frenzy. Study a little less. Sleep a little more instead. Hell, watch Camp Rock with your roommate instead.
You’ll wake up and realize that that homework you spent hours on actually stuck in your head, that you actually remember those lecture notes you frantically took and that taking that break has actually enabled you to think more clearly.
4. Go to things!
You know those flyers you get handed on the way to class in exchange for a free donut, the chalk arrows pointing who knows where, the spray-painted message on that ridiculous Blue Jay sculpture? Read them. Those arrows point to that Vocal Chords acapella concert at the Bloomberg auditorium where you’ll get candy thrown at you.
Even if it’s the night before your calculus final, that rendition of “Ex’s and Oh’s” will be so good that you won’t care about missing an extra hour of studying. The flyers are for that Ladybirds dance show where people are going to do things that should come with “don’t try at home” warnings. The blonde hair on the Blue Jay promotes the Legally Blonde musical that is going to get “Oh my god, oh my god you guys!” stuck in your head for the next 900 hours of your life. Go, and you have no idea what you might find!
5. Try those things!
That’s what college is for. In high school, you may have been the shy kid, the one who never spoke up. So go fill out that tour guide application, yell to 60 people and get people twice your age to hang on to your every word. Join theatre and convince an entire audience that you’re a bloodthirsty murderer. Never danced? Join an introductory ballet class. You don’t sport? Play club soccer and make a complete fool of yourself.
It’s harder than it seems. Getting out of your comfort zone is going to take way longer than just freshman year. I’m still doing it. But this is where it all starts, so take that first step.
6. You don’t have to stick to your orientation friend group.
Right now, you might think these are friendships that’ll last forever and you might even be right. But in one month, maybe six, you might find a group of people you have more in common with. They might be people in your major, study group, Greek organization or even clubs like The News-Letter (see what I did there?). Just don’t close yourself to new friendships.
7. Do something crazy.
Go climb that very unsteady ladder to the UTL roof. Go into the steam tunnels and explore the literal underbelly of Hopkins. Steal the Blue Jay’s shield (at your own risk). Don’t, however, let anyone define your crazy. You don’t have to go to that frat party. Sing along to the Wicked soundtrack for two hours instead if you want to. You’re not in Kansas anymore. What you do from now on is completely up to you, and you shouldn’t be afraid to try anything.
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