Your freshman year of college can feel unreal. It creeps up on you; one day you’re living at home hanging out everyday with the people you’ve grown up with and the next you’re leaving the comfort zone of your childhood house. No matter how many people tell you that “college will be the best years of your life” the fears of your first year can never just go away. It’s okay to be nervous, but before you stay up for countless hours worrying about what’s to come, here are some fears every college freshman faces and a more realistic look at them.
New buildings mean new opportunities to get lost and humiliate yourself, right? Everyone is familiar with the walking into the wrong classroom fear. The hallways are confusing and you find yourself walking into a lecture that is already going on. Or maybe you find yourself sitting in the class before it starts, the professor walks in and begins talking which is when you realize this is not where you are suppose to be. Here’s the thing though, it wouldn’t be so widely feared if it wasn’t common. Yes, in fact believe it or not millions of people freshman year have embarrassingly walked into the wrong room and survived. Just have a good sense of humor about it.
Whether you searched through your college’s Facebook page for someone similar to you or applied for a random roommate; moving in with someone new freshman year is scary. This is one of the first people you are forced to meet and the only person you are forced to spend A LOT of time with. So what if you don’t get along with them? Think about it this way, your roommate is a potential built in friend. You are both nervous in a new place and could be each other’s crutch while going through the first weeks in a new place. But let’s say you do end up hating your roommate; just request a room change. It really is that simple.
Transitioning from high school work to college work freshman year is going to be stressful. Midterms and finals will make you want to rip your hair out. Staying up all night to finish 15+ page essays will completely ruin your sleep schedule. When you add parties and all the other distractions that come with college into your schedule then it’s quite understandable why sometimes people flunk out.
Here’s the real tea though; if you work hard enough and focus then you won’t fail. You have to buckle up and just do your work. Just because it’s college doesn’t mean you can’t get good grades. It’s all about what kind of work you put into it. So just make sure before you pick up the red solo cup you have your assignments in.
It’s post high school and you’re no longer on any sports teams that can whoop your butt into shape. The dining hall doesn’t have an array of healthy options so you turn to cheap fast food and ramen noodles to get you through school. Although there’s nothing wrong with indulging, you have to remember that your body is already undergoing an immense amount of change with the amount of stress you’re going through; a healthy diet could really help you through this.
No one likes to do it, but diet and exercise can really help your school/work performance. Try to push yourself because in the end it will really be beneficial to you. Plus, most schools have a gym you can use for free and what could a college kid like more to do than something that’s free?
This is a big one. Moving to a new place and not knowing anyone is one of the most intimidating things imaginable. What if you don’t meet anyone who clicks with you? What if the people you do meet don’t compare to your friends back home? For this one I’d like you to think back to your first year of high school, or maybe even middle school if you have to.
Odds are at some point in time you found yourself in a situation where you knew no one. You were forced to step out of your comfort zone at some point and meet new people. If you could do it then, there’s no reason you can’t do it now. Besides, EVERYONE there has the same exact fear as you. Turn to someone and introduce yourself, chances are they are trying to gather the courage to do the same thing.
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