Things I Wish I Knew As A Freshman

So, this year my college let in a HUGE freshman class. My first year, I was one of 1,000 students. This year, there are over 300 freshmen. The campus is so crowded! The lines at the cafeteria are long, the lines at the bookstore are out of the door, and the dorms are at capacity. As I watch them all kind of aimlessly wander, I think about all the mistakes I made when I started college, and it made me wish I'd known better. So, for your enjoyment, or just to clutter up your RSS feed, here's a few of those things.

You don't have to do EVERYTHING in a group of the same people that you see every day.
Seriously, YOU CAN WALK TO YOUR CAMPUS MAILBOX ALONE. Or with one other person. Or with someone you don't go everywhere with. Having friends is awesome. Being surgically attached to the same group of people gets boring, breeds drama, and really limits your college experience.

Wear real pants.
People notice when you never get dressed. Pajamas and sweats are sloppy. I know, sometimes you pull all-nighters, or get sick, and you wear sweats. That's okay...OCCASIONALLY. But seriously. You'll look more professional, cuter, and you'll be a better person if you wear pants.
P.S. skirts are okay too.

Your professors aren't just mean old people.
Some professors might be, but give them a chance. It's in their best interests to see you succeed, so let them help you! This means do the assignments they ask you too, no matter how much you'd rather be making a late-night Cookout run. Burgers and fries will exist after you read that chapter, I promise.

It's OK to be stressed.
Seriously, it happens. Even the straight-A student with her freshly ironed clothes and her perfect hair and her organized binder and her well-kept planner and her clean, fresh-smelling room gets stressed. Just take a deep breath. You aren't crazy, you aren't incompetent, you're human.

No more drama. No, really. Stop it.
Right now, it seems important that what's-her-name said your friend likes your friend who likes your other friend, or that Douchebag McDrunkard passed out on the front steps of your dorm, but IT ISN'T. Granted, upperclassmen engage in gossip to, but don't let it run your friendships. Starting or continuing drama is NEVER good for ANYONE involved.

Go to class, idiot.
I don't care how hungover you are, or how late you studied, or that you need a day to meditate, or whatever. I can tell you from experience that if you don't go to class, you won't do well. Wake up. Eat breakfast. Put on your real pants, pick up your backpack, and go to class. You'll thank me when you get your midterm grades.

Step out of your comfort zone.
Don't rule things out just because they don't look like something you'd enjoy. When I started college, I made fun of the nerds watching Harry Potter in the common room. Later, after tons of drama with my first clique, those guys became my best friends. We've been through thick and thin together, and we're still really close today. I would never have imagined that I would play Dungeons and Dragons, but now I'm doing spot checks LIKE A BOSS.

For goodness' sake, get some sleep.
If you don't, you're going to look like you got hit by a bus. You won't be able to concentrate, you won't retain the things you learn in class, you'll get REALLY grouchy and mean, and eventually you won't be able to keep going. You will exhaust yourself if you don't rest. And on that note:

Take care of yourself.
College is hard, and there's no one else that will take responsibility for your well-being. You have to make sure you eat, and sleep, and take time to relax. You'll miss the best parts of your college experience if you aren't good to yourself.

Stay fresh, Internet freshmen.