Wow here is a totally original blog post that has never ever been done before. I guess I’ll be the first to do it. (Obviously joking.. if you didn’t pick up on that, this might not be for you)
At the beginning of my senior year I was deadset on attending the small liberal arts college my sister attended. It’s an amazing school, and I couldn’t wait till next fall. However, God had another greater plan and March 2016 I was preparing to move 3 hours away from home and attend the biggest university in the state of Tennessee. I was terrified. I was thrilled.
It’s now a year later. I love my school so much, and I could never ever imagine living in my hometown again. With that being said, I have some things I’ve learned in the last 365 days that I’d love to share.
- Don’t worry about being popular anymore
no one is popular in college (although some people may truly believe it) at a school or 20,000+ you probably won’t even have more than 100 know your name at the end of freshman year. That’s really ok. Popularity doesn’t take you anywhere in the real world anyways
2. Stop comparing yourself to others. Now.
If you’re anything like me or the girls I graduated with you probably have spent the last four years comparing yourself to your peers or kylie jenner or that girl you just stalked on Instagram. It’s not worth it. I’m not going to tell you that completely goes away in the next year, but it sure isn’t as common. In college, no one cares about your gpa (except the lovely people monitoring your scholarship), the clothes you wear (baggy tees & running shorts for dayzzzzz), or what you drive (unless it’s a bike in that case plz don’t run me over yikes). Don’t spend your last two months worrying about what other people are thinking or doing. Just be you for a minute:
3. You’re going to want to come home
It might hit you the moment your parents who just spent the day moving you in pull out of the parking lot, or it might hit you two weeks later when your high school boyfriend posts a picture with another girl. But it will hit you like a ton of bricks and leave your stomach in a knot. You might even call your mom crying (sorry mom lolz). Don’t worry. It’s normal and completely natural. By second semester you’re going to be a pro.
4. Keep up with your best friends you met in high school
Your high school best friends are of a different breed. They were there for your first heartbreak, your parents’ divorce, your stepmother’s death, and that one friend’s very scary week in the hospital… you can all trade stories about that time you went to THAT place with THAT person. They know you like the back of your hand.. but odds are you won’t be at the same school in a few months (unless you’re my two best friends that went to earlier mentioned dream school without you. Still bitter Caity & April!!!!) Check in on them, pray for them, and most important of a, keep the group text alive.
5. Your college best friends are going to get to know you scary quick and be your everything beware
Your first week of college you’re going to feel so vulnerable. It’s going to be so easy to turn into a little hermit, but don’t. With a population of 20,000+ you’re going to find people who you never knew you’d have such a great connection with. The first day of theater appreciation, a girl in a ball cap asked if the seat was taken. It wasn’t. I knew 4 whole people at the university and one of them was my brother. So Mihereayi Kamili sat down, and we became instant made best friends. A few weeks later I was searching for friends on the “MTSU Class of 2020 Official Facebook Page” and met my girl, Angelique Nguyen. Shortly after that, I met Alana Macrum. We agreed on all things from politics to Mexican food. Three very different matches made in heaven. Who would’ve thought some random from east tn would become very best friends with girls from Japan & California in my first few weeks of school? College is rad.
6. NO PARTY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR UPCOMING TEST
this needs no further explanation, but I know y’all gonna mess up & forget this anyways
7. But make sure you have fun
Again, I’m pretty confident I can trust you.
8. Orientation is a boring mind game
If you have a sibling who went to college, a parent who went to college, a friend who went to college, have ever heard the word “college”, or have ever left your bedroom odds are you’re going to be bored at orientation. Half of what they’re going to tell you over those two glorious days you’ll already know. That’s fine. It’s not going to kill you, so be respectful. And don’t be sad if you never talk to the people you met those days again, you’ll both find your way.
9. Check your syllabus before your email your professor
Learn from my mistake, if you ask your professor a dumb question on email you’re going to feel singled out every single time that class meets until your final. Just don’t do it.
10. Try and make (at least) one friend in each class
And then exchange phone numbers. Not only is it nice to have a familiar face waiting when you walk in the room, but one day you’ll need to miss class and they can give you an update. One day you’re going to have a homework question that they’ll know the answer too. One day they’ll text you “did you Dropbox your essay yet?” and you’ll remember that essay you’ve been forgetting to write. They’re going to save your life, save theirs back.
11. Spend the next four months L I V I N G
Once you go to school it feels impossible to get the gang back together again. You’re really gonna miss your mom, and your little brother, and your kitten. Lay off Netflix & Instagram for the next few months and make the most of all the moments you have left with your people. Before you know it, they won’t be a “wanna go to sonic?” text away.
High school is a fun carefree chapter, but don’t be sad when it comes to a close. The last four years have been wild and awesome, I’m sure, but my freshman year of college has proven to me those are nowhere near the best years of your life.
Timelessly Trendy 