5 Things You’ll ACTUALLY Learn Your Freshman Year Of College
By Maria Smith
1. You will go out a lot more than you thought you would
I know this depends on your school and what kind of person you are, but first semester of freshman year is insane. You’re meeting so many people, and everyone is so excited to go out and experience COLLEGE PARTIES! (I know, it’s some crazy shit) So don’t be worried if you find yourself drunk on a Thursday, Friday, Saturday, maybe the occasional Tuesday? It happens to all of us, and it’s fun! Just make sure you keep up with your work too 😉
2. You will not go to the gym as much as you thought you would
Again, I realize this is all personal preference and motivation, but I remember going into my freshman year thinking I would go to the gym all the time. I mean, it’s free, right?! (Well, kinda, minus the $40,000 of tuition my parents are paying) But with the crazy transition college is, don’t be worried if you skip a few days… or months… at the gym. Do try to go when you can though… the Freshman 15 can hit some hard.
3. You will get used to the workload
Obviously everyone comes from different high school backgrounds, but college is notorious for having a heavier workload than most kids had in high school. No worries, you will get used to having to read a 40 page long chapter in two days while juggling problem sets, group projects, and five page papers. It really isn’t as bad as it seems; you will definitely complain about it, but you’ll get through it.
4. You will not stay close with everyone you first meet
I met so many people first semester, in my dorm, at parties, or in my classes. There were some people I got along with so well right away, and I thought we would definitely be close friends in the future. But you may move in different directions, and you may not end up as close with them as you thought you would be. And that’s ok, because you will make good, even great, friends that you’ll love and spend every second with.
5. You will change
Whether you party more than you did in high school or you realize you hate the preppy look you’ve grown up with and switch to a completely different style, you will change in some way. It may not be substantial, and you may not be able to see it in yourself at first, but it will be there. College leaves you totally exposed and, to an extent, free, leaving you to discover new qualities about yourself, both good and bad. It’s exciting, raw, and a beautiful time to grow and expand as a person. Because if you didn’t change at all after leaving what you’ve grown up with, how sad would that be?