As my freshman year of college is close to coming to an end, I feel it is the perfect time to share some of the biggest mistakes I’ve made during this past year. There is no doubt that the transition into college is bumpy. My personal transition was nothing short of a mountain.
Finding a home somewhere away from home is no easy task. While I have since found a place that I feel like I belong in at college, I have personally learned many hard lessons about socialization, living with a roommate, and pursuing academics that I wish I had known at the beginning of the Fall semester. Whether you choose to read this and reflect on your past experiences or use it as a guide for your own freshman year, I think there is an important lesson or reminder in here for everyone.
My first mistake was not going to all of the freshman orientation events at the beginning of the year. Events that teach traditions, promote school pride, and allow you to socialize with other students in your same year are vital to beginning your freshman year off strong. From my experience, these events are where many students find their first group of friends. These events also promote student organizations and clubs that you can get involved in. Often, freshman year can be isolating because you haven’t found your people yet. These events are great ways to combat that. Put yourself out there!
My second mistake was not joining a club sooner. I waited until my second semester at KU to get involved in any university organizations. Looking back, I shouldn’t have waited so long. Student clubs gave me the opportunity to socialize with different groups of people, find friends, and help serve a greater purpose on campus. Getting involved not only helps to fill up your social calendar, but it allows you to get the full college experience of being involved in activities, events, and fundraisers. Having this strong connection to the university and student body my first semester would have helped me find my place at KU sooner.
Another thing I wish I would have done my freshman year is live in a dorm. Choosing to live off-campus my first year, I missed out on a big portion of the campus community. While living situations are definitely based on personal-preference, and what works for one person might not work for another, dorm life definitely introduces you to more people. Dorm life enables you to be part of a default community of a wide variety of college students. The chances of finding people you mesh with in close-quarters are very high.
Roommate situations can get sticky, however. We all have that person in our lives who has a college roommate horror story. For this reason, I wish I would have discussed rooming expectations with my roommate much earlier on. That way, we would have been able to know what the other expects in terms of chores, cleanliness, volume, guests, and friendship. It is not always easy to set expectations and boundaries with others, but it is much better to get all the uncomfortable conversations out of the way than have problems bubble up and boil over later.
My last mistake was being afraid to talk to my professors. Your professors are there to help you! Go to their office hours, introduce yourself, build a relationship, and ask for any help that you need. You never know when you might need a recommendation letter in the future. Good professors want to help you succeed in their course. Talking to your professors can also help you understand the expectations for the course, the workload, and any other questions you may have. I promise they don’t bite. Well, usually.
Freshman year is tricky, and we all just do our best to get through it. Luckily for us, we get to use all the lessons we learn to propel ourselves through the rest of our college years. Mistakes may act as small setbacks, but no one succeeds without making many mistakes along the way.