This post is all about what every college freshman needs to know.
Are you starting college soon? How exciting! You must be nervous. I know you are because I used to be a nervous incoming college freshman too.
I would think to myself: Will I meet anyone new? What if no one likes me? What if I fail? You know, the usual questions.
The purpose of this post is for me to ease your mind about what’s to come to college so that you can go in feeling more confident than how you feel now.
This post is all about what every college freshman needs to know.
Disclaimer
I am not an expert in what happens in college because I have not experienced everything that college life has to offer. I only speak from my experiences. This post should be used for informational purposes only. I cannot guarantee that you will be prepared for college from this post alone. You should speak with other college students and do more research if you want to be more prepared. I will not be held responsible for any decisions you make from reading this post. You the reader will be reading at your own risk.
I also speak from the experience of attending a University in the USA.
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Let’s begin.
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What Every College Freshman Needs To Know
High School And College Are Completely Different
High school and college are completely different in many ways.
In high school, you are exposed to other students that are within1- 4 years of your age. In college, you’ll have classmates that are 10+ years older than you alongside the students that are within the 1-4 year range as you.
Obviously, if you are one of the students that are going back to college much later after you graduated high school, then you’ll mostly notice how much younger everyone else is. Some of your professors might be younger than you too!
The number one difference that I noticed about being in college was how flexible my time was.
I was expecting to be on campus from 8 am all the way until 3 pm like I did in high school.
What I realized was that classes occur in blocks. Sometimes you’ll have classes 30 minutes apart. Sometimes you’ll have classes 3 hours apart. The breaks you have in between each class varies which brings me to my next point.
You’ll Have More Control Over Your Time
Since all of your classes are in blocks and you’ll have hour-long breaks between classes most of the time, you have options over what you can do with that extra time.
You can get food to eat, do more studying, watch YouTube, whatever you want!
It’s really great, honestly, but you have to be really responsible with your time because it is VERY easy to fall behind in your classes.
Another difference in college versus high school is that you also have more control over your class schedule.
In high school, you could choose your classes and what times you took them. In college, it’s an extra level where you can choose the times AND the days that you want to attend your classes.
I personally like college for this reason because I absolutely love planning out my schedules. It makes me feel a new level of organization and it’s great.
You’ll Feel Lonely Often
When I say you’re going to feel lonely, I mean you’re going to feel lonely while you’re studying and while you are eating.
You might go into college with some friends but unless you are all in the same major, you’re going to have different classes at different times.
I have noticed I feel the most lonely when I go to eat lunch on campus because I like eating with another person. It feels homier.
Also, I believe that some people feel lonely because they’re afraid of what other people will think when they’re seen sitting alone. I am telling you right now that no one cares that you are eating alone.
If you look around, there are other students eating alone too. If anything, the students that aren’t eating alone envy you for having the courage to eat alone. It shows that you are comfortable with yourself and your own presence.
I don’t mind studying alone because I study best by myself but you might be different.
You might feel worse in your loneliness when you see social events on campus and don’t have anyone to attend them with too. It’s okay.
You can try to go alone if you’re comfortable with that but if you decide not to, you aren’t the only one.
You’ll Lose Friends
As sad as it sounds, you’re going to lose friends. You’re not going to lose friends because they don’t like you. It’s just part of life. It’s inevitable.
Your high school friends might not go to the same university as you and others that do go to the same university as you will be taking different classes than you.
If you aren’t actively making time to see these people, you are more likely to lose contact with them. Don’t be too sad though. Just be happy that you got to know them and that they were there for you when you needed them.
I am lucky to still have contact with my friends from high school. We definitely do not talk to each other as much as we used to but whenever we do, it’s like our friendship never stopped. We can pick up where we left off as more mature people.
Now that you’re in college, you can make new friends, make new memories, and remember your past ones (unless you still talk to them then you can catch up with them once a month).
FOMO is Real
In relation to not going to social events because you don’t have anyone to go with, you’re going to experience FOMO (fear of missing out) and you’re gonna experience it badly.
You’ll get sad and start to feel your self-worth go down. It has happened to me plenty of times already. I refuse to look at social media because of it.
I guess the only way you can combat FOMO is to really decide whether these social events are your thing and that you would genuinely enjoy being there. If you know it’s not your thing but you see how much fun everyone else is having, you shouldn’t worry because you have different opinions on what fun is than what they think.
OR you can be bold, do whatever you want, and show up to everything with no shame. The more you say yes, the fewer regrets you’ll have.
It’s More Difficult To Make Friends If You’re Not Involved
If you aren’t involved in anything on campus, it’s much harder for you to make friends. You could make friends in your classes but I’ve noticed that most students keep to themselves unless they knew each other beforehand or have multiple classes together.
I have been in college for 2.5 years now and have probably made 1-2 friends each semester. But only one of those friendships from one of those semesters lasted into the next semesters.
It’s probably just because we still have classes together, honestly.
It’s just really hard to make friends and maintain those friendships if you aren’t forced to see each other all the time. Because you know, college students have busy lives and we can’t make time for everyone.
If you can at least spend your time meeting new people every semester even if those friendships don’t last, you’re still experiencing college life. This is especially true if you’re not involved in social events on campus.
College is the only place you’ll be able to meet a wide range of people that think just like you and share similar goals.
Take advantage of this opportunity and just meet new people. They might teach you something you never thought you needed to know.
You’re Going To Meet People That You Won’t Like
Since there are so many different students that you’re going to meet, it’s inevitable to meet someone that you don’t agree with.
In my experience, it’s mostly the professors. It’s not that they’re bad people, they’re just really bad at teaching.
I guess I do meet other students that don’t share the same values as I do when it comes to school so I guess I don’t like associating with those people either.
They could be students that are wasting their money on classes they don’t attend. They could also be students that complain about everything. There are so many different ways people won’t make good impressions on you.
You can try to interact with these people that are different from you but they might hold you back from what you are capable of and will most likely be wasting your time.
I encourage you to go out and meet as many people as you can but still keep in mind who you choose to continue a friendship with. You don’t want to look back to your college life and realize you surrounded yourself with the wrong people.
You’re Going To See Old Friends That You Haven’t Seen Since Before Highschool
Okay, this is actually only true if you go to a university that is close to your hometown.
I can’t tell you how happy I am whenever I see people I used to know. Granted, I still don’t go out of my way to talk to them because I’m afraid they won’t remember me as well as I remember them. There is also the fear that they secretly hated me and I never knew.
I do reach out to some of them but most of the time, I keep to myself and enjoy knowing that they are okay and are pursuing the same goals as me.
There Are A Lot Of Free Activities and Social Events On Campus
When I was going into college, I fully expected to go to class, maybe some football games, and see my professors during their office hours.
Little did I know there were free activities to do such as Rock Climbing, group fitness classes, the gym, and much more.
Universities know exactly how broke college students are and created all these free activities for us so that we can save money and still have fun.
I also thought I had to go out to eat dinner with friends to have fun and feel like I belong. How wrong was I?
I actually went Rock Climbing on campus for the first time recently and I absolutely loved it.
This is a great activity that I could be doing anytime I am bored and want to do anything fun (FOR FREE). I didn’t have to spend money and I didn’t have to be with a group of friends when I did it.
Anyway, I am just saying that college life has a lot to offer, and the fact that almost everything on campus is free for you means that you should take advantage of it.
You’ll only be in college for so many years. I only have 1.5 years of college left and I only just now realized the many opportunities there are on campus for me to take.
You Don’t Need Too Be Out Partying Every Night To Enjoy The College Life
I know I already talked about this in previous paragraphs but it is really important that you know that college is more than going out to parties and playing drinking games till your heart gives out. I’m pretty this only happens in the movies anyway.
Like I have been saying previously, there are plenty of ways to enjoy your college life.
You can meet new people and utilize the free activities that the campus has to offer. Even being able to stay at home for most of your days is a way to enjoy college life.
I know that there are some people that wish they had more time to sit at home and do nothing.
College is when you have the least amount of responsibilities that you are required to do (at least that’s what I think).
Since we have so much leeway of what to do with our time, we need to make it what we want it to be. We should not be making it what we think college students should be doing. Every college student is different.
The Professors Only Half Care About Whether You Show Up To Class Lectures Or Not
In high school, you would get punished for not showing up to class. You would get written up and if you got in trouble enough times, you’d go to detention.
In college, none of that happens. If you don’t show up, your professor probably won’t even notice. This is especially true for the class lectures where you sit down, listen to the professor talk for an hour, and leave.
I think the times they mostly care about your attendance is when it’s a hands-on class such as a lab.
Professors absolutely appreciate when you show up to class though and will become more familiar with the faces that appear most often.
You want your professors to like you. But if you can’t make it to class for whatever reason, just know it’s not the end of the world. (Although your money might be going to waste.)
Just make sure you’re doing everything you can to make up for the lost learning time and catch up with the rest of the class.
You might also like How To Be A Successful College Student
Some Classes Are Worth Missing
This point might be weird to read but it’s true. Some classes are worth missing. I actually have a class that is worth missing this semester.
The only reason I decided that it was okay to miss this class is that it is an online class where the lectures are recorded. I have office hours for another class are during this lecture that I feel I need to go to if I want to pass that said class.
I am doing well in the class that I attend office hours for because I use extra time studying for that class knowing I can go back and learn the missed lecture material in the other class later. Does what I am saying make sense?
Pretty much what I am saying is that I’m not missing class just to miss it. I am reorganizing my time to where I can still succeed in all of my classes at once.
“Then why didn’t you just schedule your online class at a different time?”
I am not aware of the class office hours until a few days before the class starts. By then, it’s much harder to re-register for classes because of the limited seating.
The online class was also only offered in that one time block too so I would not have been able to change it if I wanted to.
You’ll Be In Your Bedroom More Often Than You Expected
I hate to admit it but I spend 50% of my time in my bedroom. It’s mostly on the days I don’t need to be on campus for class.
I spend my time in my room studying. I could be using that time to hang out with friends but we all have jobs and classes at different times so I just end up staying home.
Staying at home is cheaper too so I would think that’s another reason why most college students spend their time in their rooms.
I’d say this is the number one reason why I am in my room most of the time.
Don’t worry about feeling like a loser though! A lot of college students are just like you. So, don’t worry. You’re fine.
At Some Point, Your Health Will Decline
You might be that person who says “oh, I’m going to be so disciplined and organized. Everything will be a breeze.” But when those midterms and final exams start coming around, you’ll finally know what’s up.
You probably procrastinated on some of your assignments and you’re studying. Because of your procrastination, you’re pulling all-nighters with an energy drink to cram for the exam in the morning.
You’ll also start thinking about how you don’t have time to exercise and will start making bad food decisions to save on time. (Ramen bowls are the best amirite?)
If you’re a college student, you know where I am coming from.
As a fellow college student, all I can say is that you need to make personal health your priority.
When it’s time for bed, go to sleep. Even if you aren’t done with an assignment or don’t think you studied enough.
Sacrificing some points is okay every now and then. Your professors won’t be too upset with you if you tell them what is going on with your health. (Don’t push their buttons too hard though.)
In the meantime, try to figure out ways to have better time management and get assignments done ahead of time. Then you won’t have to scramble to get everything done.
There are days I accidentally skip meals and stay up until midnight only to have to wake up at 6 am too.
I also stopped exercising because of how overwhelmed I am. I am trying to get better and put myself first though.
Slowly, but surely.
If you know how to keep up with your health, try to maintain those good habits. College life will only get harder if your mind and body aren’t in the right condition.
You might also like What Happens When You Procrastinate? or 7 Good Habits For Students To Start Right Now
Parking On Campus Is A Nightmare
If you can avoid driving to campus such as living on campus or carpooling, do it.
The only way I am able to get good parking is if I show up on campus at 8:30 am or earlier. (I definitely do not do this anymore because I care less and got lazy.)
That is very early because as a college student with so much free time, you’re going to have a whacked-up sleep schedule.
I am giving you a fair warning now so that you aren’t frustrated about the lack of parking.
You’re also most likely going to have to pay for a parking pass.
I do have one little tip for you when it comes to parking. This will only work if you’re paying attention and are willing to do some testing.
A little trick for parking that I came to realize this year is that if you show up at a certain time, there will always be parking available in the area that you are aiming to park in. Why? Because humans are habitual creatures. Most of the time, students are leaving campus on the same days at the same time every day.
If you can figure out when these magic times are, then you’ll know exactly when you need to show up to get those parking spots.
It might also help if you know what time most classes end. Then, you would wait about 15 minutes for those students to get to their cars and leave campus. This is when you swoop in and take their spots.
I feel like a superstar when I time it right.
Ending Note
Well, that’s the extent of my college life knowledge that I would never have guessed if no one had told me.
Honestly, if you went into college without knowing all these happenings, you would’ve been fine. College isn’t hard.
The time management part is the hardest for sure. Other than that, you’re going to love college.
I hope you find this post useful and feel less nervous about what you’re about to get yourself into.
Let me know in the comments about what you think and have a good day!
This post was all about what every college freshman needs to know.
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