1. Carry an umbrella. ALWAYS.
When it comes to Wilmington weather, your weather app is absolutely useless. You can go to class and it’s sunny and 85, and when you come out, it’s pouring down rain and super muggy. This would hands down be one of the biggest lessons I have learned since move-in day. The lesson I learned? Always carry an umbrella and be prepared to walk barefoot if you’re wearing nice shoes. It only took me one time to learn this lesson the hard way!Â
Â
2. Make friends with anyone and everyone, it’s not that hard.
I’ve learned that college is much easier when you’re willing to be friends with everyone. It’s also really good to just branch out and meet new people to get outside of your comfort zone. There are always friends to be made and hilarious conversations waiting to be had.Â
3. It’s totally okay to have more than one group of friends.
During high school most people typically have one friend group that they stick to, but in college it’s absolutely fine to have more!Â
4. Make time for yourself. Mental health is super important.
Taking a day just for myself and getting multiple tasks done in one day is so fulfilling for me! Also, yes being around people 24/7 is super fun but taking some time to recollect and just absorb everything is definitely needed. I have found that mental health is so important and if you’re not happy with what you’re doing, then you have to stop, reevaluate the situation, and make some positive changes.Â
5. Join clubs and participate!
Joining clubs and being active on campus is not only something that can potentially boost your future applications, but they’re a positive experience! Being active on campus is super exciting and a great way to get to know people.Â
6. Go ahead and go out that night with your friends, you won’t want to miss out.
Going out with friends in college can be tough sometimes, especially when it’s a Thursday night and you have a 9 a.m. class the next morning. By no means does this mean go out every Thursday (or totally do), but sometimes it’s okay to take a break and have fun! Enjoying college life is something so new and it flies by so quickly, so take advantage of it and live life!
7. Take every chance if it involves a free t-shirt.
 If there’s anything that UNCW and its students love, is free t-shirts! I will one-hundred percent go to an event if it involves a good t-shirt. Â
8. Find who you are, and GROW!
College is the chance to branch out and find who you are and who you want to be. Take every single opportunity you can find to better yourself and those around you. It’s not crucial that every class you take is required for your major, but also take some that are new to you and learn something you never would have known before! When you find and love who you are, you realize that you love life so much more.Â
[All gifs courtesy of giphy.com]Â