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Dear incoming freshman,
Welcome to college! It will be four fun, frustrating, exhilarating and exhausting years. While you are here to learn and graduate, you are going to learn a lot about yourself and how the world works. I wanted to write this letter because as I sit on campus preparing for the new students to move in, I know there is so much anxiety about what college will be like. My college experience so far has not been easy, but I know I have grown in the best possible way because of it. So I’m going to give you some of my best tips and tricks to hopefully help you feel comfortable in college.
From the day of move-in. This day will be chaotic and very moving. It’s okay to cry in frustration. I have just moved into my dorm for the third year in a row and cried because my ID card was not working; there’s just a lot of feelings going around at that point. Just know that you are not alone in what you are feeling. Everyone is exhausted and frustrated and we all just want to lie down and take a nap for hours. This extremely stressful day will bring a lot of good. 100% worth it. I understand your mix of emotions, stressed but excited, nervous but elated at the same time. It’s normal. Don’t let the chaos of move-in day determine how the rest of your semester unfolds. Although today is frustrating, know that you will have days of activities and orientation to do before class. As the guidance manager myself, I want to make sure that freshmen don’t feel the insane stress of moving in before I start classes. I want the students to be on neutral ground, to feel good about the future of their school.
For me the dining room was terrifying the first few days of school. It feels like high school is starting over and where you sit right now is going to determine how the next four years go; this is not true here. Almost everyone is willing to have a stranger sit down next to them for a meal and strike up a conversation. While it can be nerve-wracking to sit down next to someone and start talking, it won’t be as bad as it sounds. Also, if you are with a group of people and have free seats at your table, invite people to sit with you. Even if you never speak to them again after that meal, you now have one more friendly face on campus. The food in the dining room is not always good and that is to be expected. But, you should still eat something. Food is important. Take it from someone who didn’t eat much in their first year and ended up getting really sick. Even if the food sucks, you still need to eat. The “Freshman 15” will probably happen, but it happens to everyone. Taking care of yourself is so important during this time.
On that note, we should be talking about taking care of yourself. Your mental and physical health is so much more important than anything else during this time. Yes, you should take the time and focus on your education but also don’t be afraid to take the day off and get back in touch with yourself. In high school, it’s always said that college professors won’t let you take a day off; it’s wrong. University professors understand what you’re going through, they know it’s a tough time, so they’re going to let you do what you need to do. Don’t take advantage of it but use it when you need it. Also, at the start of the semester, locate places on or near campus that will help you improve your mental and physical health. This could be the counseling center, gym, therapist or even hiking trails. Anything you can keep in mind for later when you need help.
So, this is my not quite professional advice on college. I haven’t talked a lot about the classes and all that because during the orientation and your first few weeks, you go here talking so much about the classes and the teachers and all that. While you’re in college studying, there are other things that are just as important. So I leave you with this: Please take care of yourself. Do whatever you need to do, but take care of yourself first. University won’t be as wonderful as it is supposed to be if you are not in the right open space to really enjoy it.
Best wishes,
Paige
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