I just finished my sophomore year of college on a fast track program, which means I'm left with three semesters of my college career. WHOA! This year has flown by, I've met new people, done new things, started a relationship, become a photographer, started learning a new language. My best friend joined me as a freshman this year, and two more friends will be joining my college come fall.
I've gotten questions from incoming students on all sorts of topics and issues, but I thought I'd address the few that I saw pertaining to all colleges. So, I asked three of my friends, who just finished their freshman, sophomore, and junior years, respectively, a few questions!
Emily—Incoming Sophomore, Nursing Major
What was the best experience of your freshman year?
The best experience of my freshman year was definitely getting to know a bunch of new people and getting to build lasting friendships with them. I loved the social atmosphere and being surrounded by people all the time.
What was an unexpected lesson of freshman year?
You’re going to learn a lot about yourself this year. For a lot of you, you’ll be out in the dorms or, if you’re at home, your parents will have granted you a lot of freedom you didn’t have before. And this really is great. Like, movie on a Tuesday night?? Don’t mind if I do! Just make sure that you don’t go too crazy with this newfound freedom. Some of you will discover that you may have a bit of wild or adventurous side, and that’s great! Just make sure you can control it. Others may find that this freedom is no big deal, and that’s great too! Just make sure that you keep to your core values and don’t do anything that you may regret later.
What's something you wish you had done (social, academic, or otherwise)?
I wish that I had joined and actively participated in at least one club this year and that I had been a little bit more involved with my floor events. It would have been more fun to have been around people who share the same interests as me. As far as getting to know the people on my floor, I knew them all by name but was not super involved in things like the Study Stops or floor Devos. Looking back, I wish that I had been more involved with things like that just so that I could have built stronger relationships with the people I lived with.
What's something you're going to do differently next year?
I will work harder to study next year. Now that I have an established base of friends, my goal for next year is to focus more on schoolwork. This means that I will have to diligently budget my time, but my grades will thank me.
What advice to you give to the incoming freshmen?
Incoming freshmen: Don’t be scared or nervous about moving on to college. There are a lot of other freshmen out there in the same boat you’re in, so you are not alone. And as far as getting used to everything, don’t worry. You’ll have almost everything figured out within a couple of weeks.
Also, stay focused on academics. The new social life is fun and exciting, but make sure that you don’t allow your grades to suffer. Again, time management will come. Trust me, it will!!
Don’t be afraid to walk up to random people on campus and strike up a conversation. I’ve made a few friends that way, and I almost always had someone to sit with in the cafeteria because of this!
Find friends who you can study with. A lot—actually, most— times, my friends and I would meet up and just study, taking some breaks to catch up and socialize. That way, if you’re a social butterfly, you get the best of both worlds: studying and social life!!
The best experience of my freshman year was definitely getting to know a bunch of new people and getting to build lasting friendships with them. I loved the social atmosphere and being surrounded by people all the time.
What was an unexpected lesson of freshman year?
You’re going to learn a lot about yourself this year. For a lot of you, you’ll be out in the dorms or, if you’re at home, your parents will have granted you a lot of freedom you didn’t have before. And this really is great. Like, movie on a Tuesday night?? Don’t mind if I do! Just make sure that you don’t go too crazy with this newfound freedom. Some of you will discover that you may have a bit of wild or adventurous side, and that’s great! Just make sure you can control it. Others may find that this freedom is no big deal, and that’s great too! Just make sure that you keep to your core values and don’t do anything that you may regret later.
What's something you wish you had done (social, academic, or otherwise)?
I wish that I had joined and actively participated in at least one club this year and that I had been a little bit more involved with my floor events. It would have been more fun to have been around people who share the same interests as me. As far as getting to know the people on my floor, I knew them all by name but was not super involved in things like the Study Stops or floor Devos. Looking back, I wish that I had been more involved with things like that just so that I could have built stronger relationships with the people I lived with.
What's something you're going to do differently next year?
I will work harder to study next year. Now that I have an established base of friends, my goal for next year is to focus more on schoolwork. This means that I will have to diligently budget my time, but my grades will thank me.
What advice to you give to the incoming freshmen?
Incoming freshmen: Don’t be scared or nervous about moving on to college. There are a lot of other freshmen out there in the same boat you’re in, so you are not alone. And as far as getting used to everything, don’t worry. You’ll have almost everything figured out within a couple of weeks.
Also, stay focused on academics. The new social life is fun and exciting, but make sure that you don’t allow your grades to suffer. Again, time management will come. Trust me, it will!!
Don’t be afraid to walk up to random people on campus and strike up a conversation. I’ve made a few friends that way, and I almost always had someone to sit with in the cafeteria because of this!
Find friends who you can study with. A lot—actually, most— times, my friends and I would meet up and just study, taking some breaks to catch up and socialize. That way, if you’re a social butterfly, you get the best of both worlds: studying and social life!!
Jessica—Incoming Junior, Nursing & Dance Major
What was the best experience of your freshman year?
Getting adopted [onto a floor as a commuter]!! Being a part of Bliss has literally made all the difference in my college career. Beginnings are SO so important, and it's honestly far easier to connect socially and make new friends as soon as possible.
Getting adopted [onto a floor as a commuter]!! Being a part of Bliss has literally made all the difference in my college career. Beginnings are SO so important, and it's honestly far easier to connect socially and make new friends as soon as possible.
What was an unexpected lesson of freshman year?
Grades aren't everything. Seriously. I had so much fun freshman year, and when I finally broke my 4.0 on New Testament Literature, I realized that I cared far less about that than I did about the memories I made going to (not-THAT-kind-of-crazy) parties with my friends.
Grades aren't everything. Seriously. I had so much fun freshman year, and when I finally broke my 4.0 on New Testament Literature, I realized that I cared far less about that than I did about the memories I made going to (not-THAT-kind-of-crazy) parties with my friends.
Sophomore year, on the other hand, taught me that grades aren't nothing. During the fall, I was quite the socialite, but my GPA hit an all time low and I ended up with an Incomplete in a class I totally could have passed. I was able to fix it the next semester, but in the end those few extra nights out weren't worth the stress and trouble I went through to get past that. College life is a balancing act - there's no way to get past that.
What's something you wish you had done (social, academic, or otherwise)?
Freshman year, I wish I'd done something entirely crazy that I had always wanted to, like audition for the school musical. Honestly, it only gets more crazy as you go along. If you haven't joined that one club in high school, get at least one year in before your major classes shut out every other obligation.
Freshman year, I wish I'd done something entirely crazy that I had always wanted to, like audition for the school musical. Honestly, it only gets more crazy as you go along. If you haven't joined that one club in high school, get at least one year in before your major classes shut out every other obligation.
What's something you're going to do differently next year?
Next year, I want to take initiative to spend more time with my friends. I now have a better concept of the relative importance of studying, but I've also realized that being a total bookworm can get pretty lonely. Unless you make it a study date and be complete nerds together...
Next year, I want to take initiative to spend more time with my friends. I now have a better concept of the relative importance of studying, but I've also realized that being a total bookworm can get pretty lonely. Unless you make it a study date and be complete nerds together...
What advice to you give to the incoming freshmen?
Incoming freshmen...Don't freak out. If I learned anything freshman year, it was that the things I thought were a huge deal were really little more than minor bumps in the path. For just about any issue you may have, there is someone hired specifically to help you work it out. Paperwork probs? There's a form for that. Degree dilemmas? There's an advisor for that. I've already accepted the fact that I'll never know exactly which office to go to, but if you don't mind a few brisk walks across campus, there's bound to be someone who can point you in the right direction. Everything is going to work out. And everything that you go through in college will be used somehow in the working out of your life. No experience is ever wasted.
Incoming freshmen...Don't freak out. If I learned anything freshman year, it was that the things I thought were a huge deal were really little more than minor bumps in the path. For just about any issue you may have, there is someone hired specifically to help you work it out. Paperwork probs? There's a form for that. Degree dilemmas? There's an advisor for that. I've already accepted the fact that I'll never know exactly which office to go to, but if you don't mind a few brisk walks across campus, there's bound to be someone who can point you in the right direction. Everything is going to work out. And everything that you go through in college will be used somehow in the working out of your life. No experience is ever wasted.
Chloe—Incoming Senior, Psychology Major
What was the best experience of your freshman year?
My best experience from freshman year was probably allowing myself to enjoy the impromptu social events. If someone asked if I wanted to go to a movie, I was all in. If some friends wanted me to tag along for a weekend trip, my response would be "Why not?!" Those spur of the moment decisions are the reason I had such a great freshman year.
What was an unexpected lesson of freshman year?
Not only should you expect the unexpected, but enjoy the unexpected. Let spontaneity take you for a ride! Oh, you want a milkshake on a Monday night? Let's do it! Oh, you want to go THERE—RIGHT NOW?!? ...Sure! That wasn't supposed to happen that way, but I suppose it will make a great memory! In summary: Don't take life too seriously because it goes by too fast to do so! Let the mishaps and spontaneity enhance your life rather than bring frustration to it.
What's something you wish you had done (social, academic, or otherwise)?
I wish I had come into college with more CLEP credit and wish I would have known that I could take more credit hours my first semester. Had I endured a few more credits then, I could have graduated an entire year early.
What's something you're going to do differently next year?
I lost my social side after my freshman year and decided to buckle down on studies. However, I think it is wise to find a balance between studying and socializing. I will definitely make more of an effort to enjoy other people and the priceless friendship each individual can offer.
What advice to you give to the incoming freshmen?
Never be afraid to push yourself past your limits, because you will always surprise yourself. Eat healthy and exercise, and be sure to balance out your crazy nights and nights, study nights, and nights where you actually get 8 hours of sleep!
Freshmen, what are your worries for starting college? Upperclassmen, what advice can you give?
My best experience from freshman year was probably allowing myself to enjoy the impromptu social events. If someone asked if I wanted to go to a movie, I was all in. If some friends wanted me to tag along for a weekend trip, my response would be "Why not?!" Those spur of the moment decisions are the reason I had such a great freshman year.
What was an unexpected lesson of freshman year?
Not only should you expect the unexpected, but enjoy the unexpected. Let spontaneity take you for a ride! Oh, you want a milkshake on a Monday night? Let's do it! Oh, you want to go THERE—RIGHT NOW?!? ...Sure! That wasn't supposed to happen that way, but I suppose it will make a great memory! In summary: Don't take life too seriously because it goes by too fast to do so! Let the mishaps and spontaneity enhance your life rather than bring frustration to it.
What's something you wish you had done (social, academic, or otherwise)?
I wish I had come into college with more CLEP credit and wish I would have known that I could take more credit hours my first semester. Had I endured a few more credits then, I could have graduated an entire year early.
What's something you're going to do differently next year?
I lost my social side after my freshman year and decided to buckle down on studies. However, I think it is wise to find a balance between studying and socializing. I will definitely make more of an effort to enjoy other people and the priceless friendship each individual can offer.
What advice to you give to the incoming freshmen?
Never be afraid to push yourself past your limits, because you will always surprise yourself. Eat healthy and exercise, and be sure to balance out your crazy nights and nights, study nights, and nights where you actually get 8 hours of sleep!
Freshmen, what are your worries for starting college? Upperclassmen, what advice can you give?
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