Letter to Future Scholars: What I Learned About College..

Submitted by Kaylee H.

What I learned about college in the first semester:

1. Everything happens for a reason.
2. Drugs are not cool.
3. Don’t try to grow up too fast. You’ll want to be young once you are grown.
4. It’s okay to make friends, to be apart of certain groups, but not everyone is meant to stay in your life, especially if they don’t help you grow as a person.
5. Partying isn’t exactly the best thing ever but it’s also not completely terrible.

I learned that after getting grounded (not the kind where you stay home), that you don’t need to please everyone! It isn’t your job to always give to everyone! It’s okay to focus on yourself, and if you lose people on the way that’s fine because everything happens for a reason. It’s okay to still be spontaneous, risky, and fun because I’m young, but I ALWAYS have my priorities straight, work hard, and better myself. Just because you come across a crappy moment, that does not define your whole life, so quit sobbing and move forward!

The most essential piece of advice for incoming freshman would have to be stay focused as much as possible. Try to minimize procrastination, but get a feel for what your everyday schedule would be like and how much you can manage. You do not want to overwork your body. Also, do not get involved if you do not want to. Everyone says you can make friends, relationships, and bonds by participating. Well, do not join groups if you aren’t actually interested in them. It is better to not waste your time participating in groups and events that you do not enjoy. Make relationships by attending events you are interested in! For example, there’s bowling nights, movie nights, speeches, etc. Attend events you could see yourself meeting enthusiastic people just like yourself. If you choose to join groups, then make the best out of it and try to get involved as much as you can with that group because you want to be able to put in 100% effort, not 50%. At the beginning of the semester, I was anti-sorority/fraternity. However, I stumbled across a moment I had mid semester thinking maybe joining would be for the good because I could make friends and get involved. Then I realized I was not the issue. It is all about communication and holding on to the good friends you have. Before you join a sorority, think about your life, your schedule, and your relationships. Ask yourself, are you mentally ready to add being in a sorority to your planner? For me, I knew I wasn’t fully committed and that’s when I told myself take college step-by-step, one day at a time. I made a promise to myself to not overcommit by adding too much to my plate. Also, always talk to someone when you are stressed. It truly does help.