When I was a College Freshman

Holy moly....this summer slapped me in the face and ran. It has absolutely flown by. My classes begin in just two weeks to start my junior year of college. My JUNIOR year....I might be having a quarter life crisis about this. When I was a freshman, upperclassmen always told me "it goes by fast." My naive, freshman ways did not think any thing of it! But they were right, they were so right. In just two years, I will be in the "real world"....this slightly induces heart palpitations and sweaty palms.

I wish upperclassmen would have told me more than just "it goes by fast." Below are a few things that would have been nice to know as a freshman. Good luck with college and have a great time!

Don't feel rushed to pick a major. I always thought I needed to have my life planned out, making sure "my i's were dotted and my t's were crossed." Before my freshman year, I felt like I needed to know exactly what I was doing so I picked a major. I found out rather quickly that it was not the thing for me. It is ok to not know what you want to do with your life. College is the time to figure out what you are passionate about. You do not have to have it all together and planned out as a freshman.

I can be weird with the best of them.

Explore. Like I said above, you do not have to know it all. It is your time to explore, figure out who you are: your passions, goals, strengths, weaknesses, etc. There are so many opportunities in college. You can join a club or an organization, take a class that interests you, join a sorority/fraternity, volunteer, travel, and so much more. Take advantage of the opportunities provided to college students, you will truly grow as a person and it will help kick start the rest of your college experience.

Balance. Class, sleep, meetings, homework, hanging out with friends, you are going to be busy. Time management is a key factor in being successful in college. Maybe use a planner with calenders and reminders to balance out your commitments, homework, and "you" time. Find what works best for you, you are now responsible for your life, no one else is going to take care of your responsibilities for you.

Student Discounts. College students are poor. Take advantage of student discounts. They will save you a lot of money. Keep your student ID in your wallet. Whenever you go to a store, ask the cashier if they have a student discount. If they do, whip that bad boy out like your the FBI and get your discount. Check out my list of student discounts (here).

Network, Network, Network. Nowadays, it is all about who you know, more so, than what you know. Get out of your comfort zone and meet people! You can do this by attending career fairs, being involved on campus, talking with your professors, networking nights, conducting informational interviews, just to name a few. Meet people, make connections, and keep in touch.

What do you wish you would have known as a college freshman? Any silly stories?

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