Four Things I Wish I Would Have Known as a Freshman

College Wisdom, Upperclassman, Freshman, Door To Dorm, College Advice, Advice

Know How to Write              

I had a teacher once say to my entire freshman class, “Your math skills suck, but your writing skills suck even more.” Yes, he was a cynic but I think he was trying to be humbling. Nonetheless, this statement has always stuck with me reminding me that writing is a process that everyone struggles with. However, writing should not be overwhelmingly difficult. I wish I would have put more time and effort in my essays in high school rather than mindlessly writing something the night before. I cannot tell you the countless hours I spent in college trying to research a subject while simultaneously trying to perfect my use of “who” and “whom” and avoid incomplete comparisons. Save yourself some stress and brush up on your grammar skills and develop a good writing method while you can. Do not wait until it is too late to begin to put effort into essays and I promise you it will make your life easier.

Know People In Your Classes And Be A Good Friend

Everyone likes to have friends, but you should expand your circle and always aim to have a group of people in your class that you can count on. Pick a seat surrounded by a lot of people the first day of class because they always come in handy to study with, complete a project, or *cough* sign you in when attendance counts and give you the assignment *cough*. Extra tip: Be friends with people in your major as a freshman because chances are that they will take similar classes the rest of college so you will always have a study partner and someone who can recommend teachers! Remember to be a good friend too and to be someone that others can count on, because things will happen and good friends will always be a lifesaver when you need them.

Don’t Be Afraid To Ask

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Successful people seldom achieved success on their own. Your teachers want you to succeed, and there is an immense amount of resources on a college campus that might stay unbeknown to you if you are too afraid to ask. You are going to wish you would have asked sooner. Don’t be stubborn. Other people have no clue what they are doing either. I always thought the secret to life was figuring it out.

Keep your goals in mind

Always keep your goals in mind and stay prioritized. It is so much easier to keep up with your daily work and daily studying than to try to make up a semester’s worth of lectures and work before finals week. You do not want to begin to nick your GPA early on, so don’t lose track of what is important. Everything will be okay, just work one step at a time.