5 Not-So-Basic Lessons from my Freshman Year of College
While scrolling through my Facebook timeline in mind-numbing fashion this summer, I discovered several advice lists for freshmen entering college. The tips ranged from “you actually do have to study” to “a lanyard is not the only way to carry your student ID” — which are both very valuable and accurate (especially the latter). However, I acquired a more introspective set of lessons during my freshman semesters that I find are worth sharing.
1. Adults are just older versions of the kids that already surround you.
If you haven’t entered the realm of higher education yet, be prepared to encounter a pretty peculiar faculty. Brace yourself for old men who still wear fedoras, old ladies who are wholeheartedly, and passionately, oblivious to the aptitudes of young adults, and an overzealous janitorial staff that remains steadily intent on eavesdropping.
If you sit in the back of the classroom, and observe the lecture hall for an entire class, you will be sure to find the younger versions of these same people.
Your classmates are already the larvae of the caricatures that educate you and surround you throughout life.
The future Dr. Fedora might be the kid that always requires an additional empty desk to hold his books, much like a motorcycle sidecar. Beneath the raucous of his Kramer-esque classroom entrances lies a passion for deeper knowledge and a pathway to inspire the children of tomorrow. He just doesn’t know how to tie a tie yet.
2. View your curriculum beyond a checklist.
The second you decide to view your major as the list of classes you must take is the second that you sell yourself short on the knowledge you can gain.
This took me all year to realize: the entire purpose of attending a university is to gain access to as many resources as possible. You should look beyond the textbook reading requirements and utilize the faculty, libraries, and spaces for which you paid thousands of dollars.
Find a skill that is necessary to hone for your career and practice it with diligence on your own time. Work with your peers on campus to do something applicative, productive, and extra-curricular. That is what separates bland college-graduates from successful individuals.
3. There are two types of people in this world:
…those that pee in the shower. And liars.
Maybe you’ve stumbled upon this line which has been quoted by the likes of comedians like Bill Murray. Or perhaps you discovered this in a real-life scenario.
During the first week in my dorm, our RA held a meeting to form the rules of our floor. Everyone could contribute, and the rules were either voted down or written on a poster. One of the first rules was “don’t pee in the showers”. But I quickly realized that this rule was quite defunct.
In fact, I would encourage you to urinate in the shower as often as possible. It saves time and water, yet only sacrifices a little bit of your personal dignity.
I guarantee that at one point or another you will be sweaty and running late. It is imperative to keep this time-conserving technique in mind to save the planet and make it to your 7:30 AM class on time.
4. Learn how to help yourself.
This does not mean go the journey alone.
There are less people in college trying to make your day bright than in high school, but there is more in-depth assistance available if you can advocate for your own needs. Academic advisors, professors, and even psychiatrists are available to facilitate any of your concerns from mental illness to choosing a major.
These are people whose sole responsibility is to help you achieve point B while you’re still standing at point A. Outside of college, that’s called a life coach or an agent, and they aren’t complimentary.
If you can send a great email, make the right phone call, and actually talk to people face to face, you will be on the fast track for success undoubtedly. Clear communication is the number one element in making your goals palpable. The key is to initiate the conversation by your own means and take control of what you want to do.
5. Learn to cherish your family instead of miss them.
I’m a firm believer in finding happiness wherever you may be in life. If you
can’t find a glimmer of positivity in a scenario, then it’s important to see
yourself out of it.
Part of discovering that happiness involves surrounding yourself with great
people. In college, this is one of the most pertinent aspects of your experience.
However, even if you surround yourself with the dream team of friends (i.e. Ross, Rachel, Chandler, etc.), your social connections will morph and change in a tumultuous cesspool.
Your family will not.
If you’re lucky enough to have supportive relatives then you should talk
to them, tell them about your life, and ask about theirs’s. View their time with the utmost value.
In all honesty, I did not feel homesick for more than one or two nights
in the fall semester. If you stay busy you can avoid that feeling.
Instead, I learned to cherish the limited time I had with my family. Whether it be when they came to visit or when we talked on the phone, it always felt good to know that they cared about anything I was doing.
Your friends can support you and add excitement to your life, as they should, but they can rarely do what family does unconditionally.
It’s a hard lesson to learn, and you’re not going to read about it on a clickbait list. Just make sure you remember it when you pick up your dorm key.
