Freshman year of college is one of the most dynamic periods of our lives. More often than not, the college we go to is a completely new environment, with people who don’t know who we were in high school. It’s a time to make friends, learn lessons, and really discover who you are. I entered my freshman year with a lot of unrealistic expectations, but left feeling anything but disappointed. Here are some of the most fundamental lessons I walked away with:
1. Long distance relationships are hard
2. The freshman 15 is more like the freshman 5
3. It’s nice to have friends to meet for lunch, or pregame with, but your 3 am friends are the ones who matter most.
4. Sometimes you just need to cry in the bathroom of the lib
5. Professors aren’t as scary as you think
6. Frat boys are the best and worst thing to ever happen to us
7. The only person you owe anything to is yourself.
8. It is possible to get jungle juice out of a white shirt, but it means drunk laundry in the middle of the night
9. Your mom knows what she’s talking about
10. Warm shoes are better than cute shoes
11. Your friends from home are going to make new friends, and that’s okay
12. When in doubt, do NOT put it in the dryer
13. There is no such thing as too many pictures from home on your wall
14. Being sick sucks, so take care of yourself first and foremost
15. This is not high school
16. The same pair of leggings can be worn for a week straight
17. It’s okay to go to class hungover every once in a while
18. No one is impressed if you dumb yourself down
19. It’s okay to make mistakes, but not the same mistake more than once.