10 Signs You’re Not a Freshman Anymore
Because sometimes we need a little reminder about how much we’ve changed since the first day we got to campus…Keep reading for 10 signs you are definitely not a freshman anymore!
1. You’ve stopped carrying your student ID card around.
It is now buried in your wallet or somewhere in your backpack because as you’ve moved along the academic year, the less you use it. You don’t need it anymore to get into your dorm room or the dinning commons, you’ve memorized your student ID number, and you don’t need to use it for the bus if you drive to campus.
2. You actually miss eating at the Dining Commons.
Remember not ever having to worry about cooking because you have swipes (AKA- an easy access to a place that lets you eat as much as you can)? Ah, the glory days. Although at times, (at least in my university) the food you ate did give you the runs, let’s admit that we’ve tried either paying a freshman to swipe us in or started a friendship in the hopes of being swiped in for free.
3. Frat parties are not very appealing to you anymore.
If you wanted to celebrate the end of a long week, this was the place to go. Almost everyone in your dorm went to them and it’s all everyone talks about, but now you prefer kickbacks where you can socialize and have fun without having to constantly avoid creepy people inappropriately touching you.
4. And if you (on the rare occasions) happen to go to the frat parties, it’s only for the free booze.
Because ain’t no one got the money to buy booze…except for frats, they always have booze.
5. You can navigate through campus like a pro.
You’ve long said goodbye to looking like a lost puppy carrying around a campus map because now you know the shortest way to get from one end of the campus to the other.
6. You know the best spots to sleep and/or to study on campus.
After a year, you got sick of having to always look for a place to sit in the popular spots on campus and have found underrated spots that people have overlooked: top floors of the library, loft of a coffee shop, and even the gazebo behind Whole Foods.
7. You’re basically a walking Yelp to any place on your campus.
Your knowledge of where to go extends beyond on-campus. If someone asks for a recommendation, you can categorically give one out based on price, location, customer service, and cuisine for restaurants and dessert places. Who needs an app when you’ve had years of experience exploring what your college town has to offer?
8. You know where to go for free campus merchandise.
Let’s be honest, our main incentive for going to campus events is the free merchandise. And if your campus has way too many events, you know how to narrow it down to which gives out the best ones: if not shirts, beanies from the basketball games, tube socks from football games, scarves from soccer games, and free pizza from almost every first club meetings.
9. You’ve found your group of friends.
After many floor socials, club meetings, friend-of-a-friend introductions, and awkward small talks you’ve finally found them – the friends that will pull all-nighters and re-watch old cheesy Disney movies with you, will laugh at your jokes, lift you up when you’re down, celebrate your accomplishments, and are as weird as you. These are the friends you know will be there for you no matter what happens after college; one of you is thinking of living abroad? A group trip has already been planned.
However, even though you’re done looking around, it doesn’t mean that your door is now closed for more friendships.
10. Your outlook on life has totally changed.
Transitioning from high school to college was a big change. You came in excited for all the possibilities and adventures, but now you’ve been introduced to all the bad and good things about our world and the reality of life. Maybe you’re still as ambitious and excited as your first day, but you have developed a more realistic outlook.
