Considering that I am about to venture toward my senior at FSU next fall I figured I’d give the incoming freshman so advice. Whether it be for summer C or fall, I just think there are some things you guys should know!
Coming to FSU was never my first choice, but now I couldn’t imagine myself anywhere else! For those of you in the same boat I want you to know it’s okay if you don’t absolutely love it right off the bat! It’s okay if you decide to break down in tears in the Wal-Mart parking lot (yes I actually did that). The main thing to remember is that anything is going to be hard especially if none of your best friends are coming to FSU either! But my biggest advice, if you take anything away from the article, is to give FSU a year. In that year I want you to make yourself a checklist and I want it to include these things. Many of these won’t be mentioned on any tours or your orientation trip, so take note!
First thing’s first, live in a dorm. I know it is small, but it is so convenient and such a great way to meet people! Make an effort to get to know your freshman year roommate, suitemate, and other people on the floor! This way you’re bound to meet someone you click with and as annoying as those floor meetings may be, they are worth it to go to. You’ll get to see other people on the floor! Don’t expect your RA to plan fun trips and bonding experiences (they have their own school work and life they’re trying to balance) so write on your floors Facebook page and invite people to the circus or to go get lunch with you!
One of the main things I learned freshman year was that a lot of people are in the same boat as you trying to make friends and in most cases everyone is super friendly, so exchange numbers with other kids in your class and study together! I also highly recommend signing up for a FIG class. FIG classes are a great way to make a 200 person lecture hall seem smaller since you’ll have class with the same 25 people!
Go to as many football games as possible, good or bad! Support your Noles because once spring comes around you’ll miss having something to do every Saturday! Also dress up for the games, put on body paint, and scream till the 4th quarter because there is no other feeling to compare the environment of a sold-out Doak Campbell Stadium.
Find an organization that you’re interested in and go to every meeting! Not only will going to every meeting make you look good and help you achieve a leadership position faster because they’ll see you’re dedicated, but you’ll also meet tons of friends. Freshman year I probably joined five clubs, three of them I’m still getting emails from, but if it wasn’t for that I’d never have figured out what I wanted to do. Also, don’t be afraid to ask older members how they got to where they are.
Some of my favorite organizations include: Union Productions, Her Campus FSU, Clutch Magazine, and Business International.
Go to happy hour at Pots or Thirsty Thursdays at the Strip! By your senior year you’ll realize how grimy both of those places are, but boy do they come with a story! Enjoy the simple mistake of going out on a Thursday night, dancing all night with your friends, making friends in the bathroom, talking to that cute guy sitting in the beer garden, and then waking up at 9am to go to your statistics lecture. You don’t have to go out all the time, but I do suggest going out every now and then, especially to The Strip and Pots! They’re basically museums because they’ve been around forever. Also, White Trash Wednesday will be packed every Wednesday during summer c so expect to be shoulder-to-shoulder with people, Make the best out of it. Side note—please, please, please be responsible when you go out! Stay with a group of friends that you trust and know won’t leave you and please look out for others too!
Eat at Chubby’s or Guthrie’s. It’ll be the best chicken fingers ever, but also the greasiest so brace yourself.
Call your parents. Tell them you miss them and love them. They’ll miss you and if you’re the oldest child this is the first time their baby is going away. They’ll want you to call just to make sure you’re safe and okay!
Take classes at the Leach. If it weren’t for freshman year I would never be the hardcore yogi that I am now! All the group classes at the leach are free and it is a great way to meet friends, stay healthy, and take a breather from your busy schedule.
If you go through recruitment and you end up in a house you’re unsure about, give it a try because chances are during the week the girls in the house saw something in you that maybe you don’t see in yourself and they picked you for a reason! Obviously if you don’t like it don’t be afraid to drop, but if you can get along with five different girls in five different friend groups then it is the house for you! Also it is a sorority, so there will be rules, there will be drama, but in the end of the day the girls in the house do care for each other, so take it one day at a time!
Take the buses. The bus system sometimes sucks, sometimes you’re cramped in the back corner, and sometimes it’s just you and another person on the bus, but it is an experience and you haven’t lived till you’ve taken the off-campus route when you actually meant to take the on-campus route.
Chances are you’ll meet a boy you really like freshman year and he might break your heart, but take it for what it is—an experience—and have fun! There is no need to take relationships seriously, you’re 18, but rather learn what you like and what you don’t like, what are deal breakers, and what are must have’s. Also, when you meet a boy don’t forget about your friends. They want to stay caught up with your life!
Eat at Paisley Café. It’s the cutest brunch place in Tallahassee and bring your parents there when they come up for parents weekend.
You’ll want to change your major. I probably wanted to change my major from marketing to anthropology to psychology to history to about everything in-between during my past three years, but try to find the major you most likely see yourself in and that you think will fit your personality. And remember just because you major in something like psychology doesn’t mean you have to be a psychologist. You could end up going into HR!
Last, but certainly not least, study! Make an effort to get good grades. Trust me when I say it is so much easier to get good grades in the beginning than it is to later try to raise them up. Having good grades your freshman year will give your GPA the cushion for your harder classes later on! Also, for your first midterms I suggest trying to study a week in advance because that way if you have three tests the same week you won’t feel overwhelmed.
All and all enjoy your freshman year. It won’t be like the movies, but I promise you there is nothing like freshman year at FSU anywhere else!