Dear Incoming Freshman:

I hope you enjoyed high school because college is on an entirely different level. If you come from a small town like me and no one you know is going to the same college as you, listen up.

The very first thing you need to know is that the first two weeks are terrible. It’s something new, you’re trying to get in the groove of things, and you don’t know anybody. Many times you’re going to think, “What have I gotten myself into right now?” But, this feeling will pass once you get used to college life and start making friends.

You have to come into college with the right mentality. If you think you and your roommate are going to become the best of friends, you’re going to have a bad time. Who knows? Maybe you and your roommate will hit it off and become attached at the hip, but you need to make friends outside of your own residence hall room. There are a couple ways to do this:

First, join clubs. In college you will find clubs for everything. Join as many as you think you can handle and get involved in things you wouldn’t normally. This way you can find out more about yourself and your interests.

Second, talk to people in your classes. Your future best friend could be sitting two rows behind you and you don’t even know it. Also, when you have to do group projects, it makes group work a lot more enjoyable and much less awkward.

Overall, the biggest mistake you can make is not branching out and meeting new people. You can’t just stay in your shell because you will go insane with loneliness. Also, don’t be discouraged when other freshmen don’t want to associate themselves with you. Most of them are still stuck in high school and have come to college along with their cliques of friends.

On a side note, go to class every day and just do your homework and study. You don’t need to commit every second of your day to climbing a social ladder. You did come to college to get a degree after all.

Good luck,

A former freshman

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