As an incoming sophomore, whenever I reflect on my freshman year, especially spring semester, I am overwhelmed. This year was a lot, between learning how to live on my own, making new friends and adjusting to a new school. However, the one main emotion that I feel is pride. To be honest, I am really proud of making it through this first year. Not to scare any incoming college freshman (I promise you will be fine!) but this year was not sunshine and rainbows. Frankly, the trials I faced this year helped me grow as a person.
Looking back, I have a few overarching tips and tricks for how to survive and strive. So, whether you are going to be a freshman on campus soon or just need some tips, keep reading for my freshman year reflection and survival guide.
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Get notified of top trending articles like this one every week! (we won't spam you)Tip #1: Branch Out!
I am sure that your family members are already telling you this, but I promise it is so important. Especially if you are going to a campus without anyone that you know, branching out is the best thing you can do for yourself. So, join that club, try out for that club sports team or go to that campus event that sounds a bit cringy. In the end, it will benefit you to try new things and have familiar faces on campus.
If you are interested in a graduate school program, most schools have professional fraternities that cater to your interests. This is a great way to meet new people and get an up-close look at your school's resources for your interest.
Another big tip I have is to rush a sorority or fraternity. While I know that Greek life is not for everyone, just giving it a shot will never hurt. You never know, you might end up loving it.
This spring semester, I was unsure if I wanted to rush. I actually ended up dropping out the day before rush started. A few weeks later, I got a text from the VP of Recruitment at one of the sororities. She wanted to know if I would be interested in doing continuous open bidding (less-pressure rush). Do not get me wrong, I had my hesitations, but I was looking for a group on campus. I went later that day, and as a now initiated member, I am so glad that I did.
My sorority has given me a home on campus (I mean this figuratively and literally because we have a house). I met new people that I never would have crossed paths with otherwise and am finally having fun with my new friends.
So, if you are unsure about something, just try it! There is no harm in going once and quitting. But if you do love it, you know that you have a new group of people on campus to hang out with and a new club to put an activity on your calendar.
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Tip #2: You Do Not Need to Focus on Academics 24/7
This is a big one. For those of you who are intense about school, college is going to give you more time to study than you have ever had before. There is so much free time and it is easy to get carried away with homework. However, this is not good for you long term. While I am not saying to disregard your studies, you need to have a balance. Take a break and go to the gym, a club meeting or watch a movie with friends.
Especially with the new style of teaching, you might feel as if you have a ton of learning to do outside of lectures. It is ok to not get everything right. In college, you learn more outside of the classroom than you do inside of one.
While you definitely need to have a little fun, if you never do academics it will hurt you in the long run. College is all about finding what works best for you, and having fun seven days a week will not get you to where you want to be.
Tip #3: It is OK to Not Feel At Home Yet
One of the biggest feelings I had freshman year was that I did not feel at home. I felt like an imposter; I was counting down the days until the next break so I could go back home where I felt comfortable. Everyone around me was loving college, including my friends from high school. I felt so out of place for not immediately adjusting, or even by not being adjusted during spring semester.
This adjustment is different for everyone. It is harder for some people than it is for others. Just remember that your feelings are totally normal.
Even if you go home from spring semester feeling ok, like you do not hate your school but you do not love it, give it another chance. Sophomore year might be the time when everything finally clicks into place for you.
Also stay off of social media if you are feeling this way. Social media romanticizes college to no end. Everyone is having such a great time all the time, they do not miss home, they have their routine set and they get along with their roommate. I promise you this is fake a lot of the time. Many more people are feeling how you are feeling. So, block out the negative energy you get from scrolling on Instagram or TikTok and go join a new club.
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Tip #4: Let High School Go
This tip might be the hardest of all. I know we all love our high school and hometown friends, especially when we are homesick and thinking about all of the memories we have with them. However, this will just make your experience worse.
I went into college thinking I was going to find my best friend instantly. I would find my group of friends by the end of September and be done. This was not the case at all. I was bouncing between friend groups during first semester, and honestly, I never truly felt like I fit into any of them. I constantly felt like I had to make myself into another version of whoever I was with so that they would like me, which was never the case with any of my hometown friends.
Spring semester came along, and I barely had any friends from the first semester stick. I was expecting to find a lifelong best friend the minute I stepped on campus, and when that did not happen, I had no idea what to do with myself. Once I let go of this idea, I made a ton of new friends and finally felt like I was starting to genuinely like college.
The moral of the story is that you cannot expect college to go the same way that high school did. You might bounce between friends for a while, and that is perfectly fine. Since you are not on the same bus or are in a building with them from 8am to 3pm everyday, it can be harder to find lasting friendships.
You will find friends, but be open to however long that process takes. It is not going to be instant like high school, but you will find your people eventually. If you have a notion in your mind of exactly how freshman year is going to go, let it go now before you are disappointed that it did not perfectly meet your expectations.
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Conclusion
While my freshman year was far from perfect, it forced me to grow as a person. Going into sophomore year in a month, I feel much more confident about who I am and where I fit in on campus. These tips will make your freshman year, especially spring semester, a whole lot easier. I genuinely wish someone was there to tell me it was ok to not love college, let go of high school and spend some time away from my homework.
No matter what freshman year brings, you are going to be ok. Keep these four tips in mind and trust that you will end up finding friends and a home on campus.
