Dear College Freshmen,
This is my last first week of school... EVER... I'm unwell thinking about this. I can't help but reminisce about when I was where you are at today: new to the school, new to living on my own, new to everything surrounding me. While I lay in bed teary eyed and stressed about not knowing exactly where I'll be this time next year, I figured I'll make better use of myself and use of my past college experience so far by letting you in on some secrets to surviving and thriving during your college years.
Credibility:
For those that know me personally, you KNOW that my freshman year did NOT go as I planned. I won’t go into details, but basically:
*Expectation: An outstanding student athlete involved on campus in every way possible. A highly involved sorority sister with strong friendships among everyone in my chapter from the first day. A girlfriend to a man whom I would fall in love with and marry. A diligent student who connected with professors from the very start. A studious freshman who knew how to balance fun*
*Reality: An injured student athlete who had to medically withdraw from school. A freshman who missed out on bonding events with my sorority sisters. A first year student who lost the opportunity to throw myself into clubs/organizations on campus. A single AF girl surrounded by freshmen f*ckboys. A human whose physical AND mental health was deteriorated at the time.*
Despite my freshman year reality sounding like a complete sh*tshow, it wasn’t all bad. My overall college experience has been nothing short of amazing and I’ve been able to make up for some lost time. Today, I’m in a much healthier place: I’m able to participate in more things on campus; I'm never not at my sorority house; I've developed friendships that double as life support through college’s lower points; I’ve made memories to last a lifetime; and I've gotten to experience different things I never even dreamed of being able to do before. It wasn’t until later that I realized the impact my rock-bottom of a freshman year played into my personal growth and the development into the person I’m proud to be today.
~That being said~
Life Advice:
Life will happen; Sh*t will happen.
Life doesn’t always go according to your plan, but know that everything happens for a reason even if you may not understand it until later.
Sometimes strength is built while you are being broken down.
There will be times when school or the college lifestyle will make you feel incapable of continuing. Just know that you will come out of whatever you are going through stronger than before as long as you continue persist.
(If you are spiritual) keep a strong relationship/faith in your higher power.
School:
Don’t expect to know what you want right away
You may come into college thinking you know exactly what you want to do in life or you may not. Either way, don’t fret. College is a time for you to discover new things about yourself so don’t be afraid to try things out of your comfort zone and don't be afraid of changing what you want to do in life.
Meet with your academic advisor and devise a 4-year plan to help you meet your targeted goal.
Immerse yourself into your school.
Go to your school’s sporting events; Become involved in clubs and organizations on campus; Start your own club or organization.
It’s never too early to get an internship.
Internships can guide you to the career path that will best suit you and your ideal life.
Volunteer in a career field that you are interested in or for a cause that you’re passionate about.
Plan ahead and you may just end up with a great class schedule.
Balance easier and harder classes in the same semester.
Don't overload your class schedule. Last semester I accidentally ended up taking 19 credits (mind you the avg. credit hours at UF is 12-16 and the max. is 18) and it was ROUGH. All-nighters/average of 3-5 hours of sleep per night/sleepovers at friends' places because I didn't have time to pull myself away from an assignment/sleep at the library kind of rough.
You can get student discounts at many places/online.
Check your emails regularly.
Try your best to stay organized.
Start building a resume or at least start keeping track of your accomplishments and involvement experiences as well as skills you develop/possess.
Sanity & Self:
Pet the puppers.
It's not uncommon for students to foster and help train service dogs. A lot of times you will run into them on campus and have the opportunity to pet them: don’t skip out! They’re the BEST stress relievers and pick me uppers.
Set boundaries and know your limits.
Create some type of structure for your life to help keep you physically and mentally stable.
Be active
Workout to stay or get fit, but also the simple physical movements in your day-to-day routine add up. Try to walk as much as possible (ex: walk to classes, to the dining hall, to the gym) and take the stairs.
Be mindful of your diet and portion sizes.
This is your time to be selfish: make yourself your priority and be authentic.
Live in the moment, but also take lots of pictures/videos so you can later go back and relive some of your favorite memories.
Sex:
Always have consent.
Get tested and use protection.
The hookup culture has become increasingly normalized on college campuses. However, do not feel pressured to give in to this if casual sex isn’t what you want.
Social:
If you are in Greek life, put time into your organization in order to maximize your satisfaction and benefits from being a member.
Get to know the people in your sorority or fraternity.
Become as involved in your organization as much as possible.
Don’t be afraid to apply to clubs, organizations, and for positions (even if you feel under-qualified).
Be mindful of what you post on social media.
HAVE FUN!
WARNING:
Be prepared to deal with a quarter-life crisis or mental breakdowns at some point, but know that they will pass.
Although my time at the University of Florida has been the best, it hasn’t always been the easiest. Everyday isn’t always a dream come true despite my dreams originally seeming like they were playing out. With this being said, I hope the above provided many freshman with comfort as they embark on their new journey; I hope this post further ignited excitement for the unknown that lies ahead, and I hope I provided some sort of reassurance that everything will work out in the end (and that the end doesn’t terminate with college).
XOXO,
Alyssa Ashley
Senior at the University of Florida
P.S. If you are interested in more college hacks, check out "Alexa, How Do I Summer B?" and "Dorm Necessities"!