College is a time when you are supposed to set the stepping stones to make all of your dreams and ambitions come true, find yourself and make lifelong friendships. Going into my freshman year of college, I had absolutely no idea what to expect and that made it a little nerve-wracking. So, today I am trying to make the transition from high school to college, or even one year of college to the next, easier and less stressful for you!Â
Stop stressing over if you picked the right school… Odds are even after you move in you will still have second guesses about your choice in school. Did I go big enough? Is this place too big? Seeing how your friends at other schools experience their college may make you contemplate whether you chose the right school for you. That’s where the next tip comes in…Â
Transferring Schools… If you get to your first choice of college and end up hating it after two weeks the answer is simple – transfer. Not every school is right for everyone and sometimes you have to go to two, three or even four schools to find the right fit for you and that’s nothing to be ashamed of! Just stick out the semester if at all possible, recollect your thoughts and look at new schools that will be the best for you. Â
Picking a major… This is a biggie for a lot of students. Luckily, Bloomsburg has many majors to choose from and an awesome staff of advisors and professors to help you decide what major and career paths you would like to pursue. Also, most students do not graduate with their undergraduate degree in the same major they started out in their freshman year. Changing your major is okay! When you’re forced to decide what you want to do with the rest of your life at age 18, you’re most likely going to change your mind. Almost all schools have advisors that will help you figure out what is best for you.
Dropping a class… If you are in a class, especially a major class, and you just know that you can’t do it, whether it be too hard or just not very useful, maybe you should look into dropping it. Always talk to you advisor before dropping a class though. Schools like Bloomsburg require you to keep up with a certain amount or percentage of the classes you’re taking to receive financial aid so always check with your financial aid department and advisor before dropping or withdrawing from a class.Â
Picking a roommate… If you are an incoming freshman or underclassman, you are more than likely going to be living in a not so cozy dorm room for next nine months which you have to share with someone who you may have never met before. If there is any advice I can give you in reference to your roommate situation it is to always be friendly but you don’t have to be best friends. You already have to spend every night together, if you spend too much of the rest of your time together odds are you will start to get tired of each other and it will make living together unbearable.
Making friends… I cannot stress enough how important it is that you surround yourself with the right kind of people when in college. It is a good thing to have friends in many different groups, that way you never have to spend all of your time with just one group of people. You want people around you that encourage you, not bring you down. These people are different for everyone and you just have to find your niche.Â
Get involved… I know this is clichĂ© but it is so very important. Most schools have an activity fair within the first week you move in and this is a great place to get started. Sign up for anything that interests you. Most likely they aren’t asking for your first born child, just your email address, so the worst that can happen is they spam you with weekly meeting times and dates. Besides classes, this is one of the most effective ways to make friends with people who are interested in the same things you are.Â
Don’t worry what people think of you… This one was actually very hard for me to accept myself. My freshman year of college I only went out a handful of times and when I did I was not one to drink. Normally when I was asked if I wanted a drink at these parties and I kindly declined I got very weird looks and usually judged pretty badly. For a while it bothered me but then I started realizing that it’s okay to go out and not drink- it is all just personal preference. If you want to go out, go out. If you want to stay in and watch pitch perfect four times in a row and eat pizza, then call me.
You don’t need to be in a relationship… Sure, you may want a boyfriend, but odds are you’re time is so taken up by school work, clubs, maybe even a job that you don’t even have time for dating. When you’re in your late teens and early twenties, it is your time to be downright selfish. You don’t have a husband and children, you just have to take care of yourself, and if that is what you want to do then that is what you should do. Put yourself first. But if you so happen to meet a blonde, 6’2″ guy that could put Dave Franco to shame and makes you happy, then do exactly what makes you happy. I mean, hey, you only get to go to college once, right?
You truly do only live once… The great philosopher Tom Petty once said, “I’ve learned one thing and that’s to quit worrying about stupid things. You have four years to be irresponsible here. Relax. Work is for people with jobs. You’ll never remember class time but you’ll remember the time you wasted hanging out with your friends. So stay out late. Go out with your friends on a Tuesday when you have a paper due Wednesday. Spend money you don’t have. Drink ’til sunrise. The work never ends, but college does.”
Now let me be honest here. Most of the things in that quote are bad ideas. School work should always comes first and you should probably not spend all of your (or your parents’) money, but the thought process behind it holds true. Don’t get lost in translation and forget that you’re a teenager that needs to have some fun in their life. Never take yourself too seriously. Be a hopeless romantic, be a friend, be a great student, but most importantly, never forget to be yourself.