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The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Stonehill chapter.

As my freshman year of college comes to an end, I can humbly say that I was not as prepared as I thought. Quite frankly, I do not think anyone coming into their freshman year can predict how their year will go. Freshman year is full of adjustment and change for every student, experiencing living and learning environments never seen before. Everyone deals with the change differently, but here are a few experiences I have noticed over the last year that many agree upon. 

  1. Academic lifestyles will change; many come from high school classes, juggling six to eight classes on their schedule, and the majority of students take about five each semester in college. With that being said, their expectation of work outside of class in college significantly increases.
  2. Choose people who choose you; college is the time to find people with similar interests and goals. In finding people who are alike to you, your life will only be filled with positive energy. 
  3. The way in which you feel and look physically may change; your appearance during freshman year is something many struggle with, just know you are not alone in that.
  4. Homesickness is normal; missing home is okay as it is the place where many are comfortable and that is familiar to them. Allow yourself to adjust at college while also taking time to visit home when needed. 
  5. Give yourself grace; just know that there will be times you make mistakes in all aspects of the college experience, but this is a time for learning and growth for everyone. 
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Isabelle O'Connell

Stonehill '27

Isabelle O'Connell is a freshman at Stonehill college majoring in Health Science and minoring in Speech Language Pathology. Isabelle is in the Stonehill College HER Campus Chapter as a staff writer. Isabelle is from Walpole, MA. Her interests include spending time with family and friends, reading and writing, baking, and going to the beach. After college, Isabelle hopes to become an Occupational Therapist or Speech Language Pathologist.