Things I Wish I Knew as a Freshman, From a College Senior

As I finish my second to last semester of college, I am beginning to think about how far I have come as both student and a person. Though I did not have a traditional college experience because of COVID, these are the things I wish I had known as an 18-year-old starting my first year of college.

“College professors are way stricter than high school teachers” is a lie.

Throughout my high school career, I have heard a handful of teachers tell me, “be grateful I am doing this. Your college professors will not let this slide.” In reality, most of my college professors have been very laid-back and understanding. 

Most of the time, professors do not care if you arrive late or even show up (this depends on the class, of course). You don’t have to raise your hand to ask to use the restroom. If you are in a large lecture class, the professor most likely will not know your name. 

As a media studies major, I have been fortunate to have many professors who care about my work and want me to write or compose an assignment that I am passionate about. The number of times I have written papers on untraditional ideas such as the power of Taylor Swift or “The Crown” is uncountable. I don’t think writing an analysis paper on those topics would have slid in high school. 

Most college professors are very understanding and lenient when it comes to extensions and late assignments. It took me a couple of semesters to learn this, but it’s okay to ask for an extension or help on an assignment if you need it. 

You’re On Your Own, Kid.

As your first semester of college is wrapping up, you can probably tell that the culture is very different compared to high school. Your parents or teachers aren’t nagging you to turn in your assignments or attend all your classes. You now have free reign to do whatever you desire. Alexa, play “Ain’t It Fun” by Paramore.

Though this is exciting at first, it can be hard to keep yourself accountable. The biggest difference between college and high school is that attendance is not mandatory for (some) classes. When I first started college, I vowed that I would never miss a class. That promise did not last that long, especially with my first year of college being completely remote. Especially when your schedule gets hectic or you don’t feel like waking up for your 9:30 am, it is so easy to skip class.

Ever since I moved out, I started to appreciate the little things I get at my parent’s house when I do visit that I don’t have in college. For instance, not having to pay for laundry and eating home-cooked meals are blessings in disguise and spending time with my family is cherished so much more. 

Independence is so fun, but it also can be daunting. Especially at 18 years old, it can be hard to go from relying on your parents/guardians to living on your own. Though it can take a while, it is vital to build a solid support system.

It’s Easy to Meet People, It’s Not Easy To Maintain Those Relationships.  

In my first semester in college, I thought the friends I made in my classes and the people I met through school events would stick with me for the rest of the semester, but most of the time, that is not the case. 

We have all met people at Welcome Week events or followed people who attend their respective universities on Instagram. We always say “Let’s get lunch soon!” but 90% of the time, it doesn’t happen. Expect to get a lot of those throughout college. 

It takes effort to maintain the friendships you make in college. If both parties are not making the effort to reach out, the friendship will most likely fizzle out. College is not like high school where you see the same people every single day and you all have the same schedules. Yes, you do make those classroom friends in college, but usually, once the semester is over, you never see them again. This doesn’t mean everyone hates you or doesn’t want to hang out with you outside of class. College students have other courses, jobs, club meetings and other things to take care of. Especially as we approach finals season, people start prioritizing other aspects of their lives, and that’s okay. 

Your Friendships From High School Will Not Be the Same As They Were Before

After moving from Los Angeles to New York City to attend college, I thought I would be able to maintain the friendships I made in high school into my college life. With social media, I thought it wouldn’t be hard to keep tabs on the people I considered my closest friends four years ago, but in reality, I lost touch with many people from high school who I thought would stick by my side forever.

As mentioned earlier, both parties need to put in effort to maintain friendships. With the time difference and all of my friends back home having completely different schedules than me, it can be hard to find the time to FaceTime and catch up. 

Though we live across the country from each other, I thought that my best friend throughout middle school and high school and I would be able to talk to each other as often as we did back when we were living in the same town, but in reality, we probably talk twice a month. It’s not like anything about our friendship has changed though. It just gives us an excuse to hang out longer when we get to see each other in person during breaks. 

Your College Years Will Go By So Fast

I hated it when my older family members and friends told me that “these four years will fly by” while I was still an underclassman, but they were so right.

The past three and a half years have flown by, and I can’t believe I am almost done. I vividly remember my first day of freshman year, sitting in my childhood bedroom in a Zoom class. I was so afraid thinking college would be the slowest years of my life, but it turned out to be the complete opposite. 

It can be hard to romanticize college , especially as finals season approaches. But, it is important to realize we should not be taking this phase of life for granted. You aren’t just taking these four years to obtain a degree, but it’s also the time when you figure out who you are and where your values lie.

The last thing I’ll say to you is take it all in. In the blink of an eye, you will be putting on your cap and gown and moving on to your next phase of life. 

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