5 Things Not to Worry About Freshman Year of College

Freshman year is a time of great excitement for students who will be away from home for the first time in their lives. Navigating a new city, a new campus, while attending new classes with new people presents many opportunities for reinvention and experiencing new things.

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However, this time is often overshadowed by a lot of stress for students who might not be used to being so far away from the comfort zone of what they have always known.

Because everything is so new, teachers, peers, and family members will all try to be offering their own advice to help you navigate your new journey.

Take it from someone who has been there, stressed about it, and survived partially unscathed, worry about all of the things that I didn't need to worry about right away.

Despite what anyone might tell you, these things should not cloud your vision during your first year of school, if ever.

1. Declaring A Major: Freshman year, especially your first semester will likely be spent taking pre-reqs like math, science, art, and a general elective. These courses are required for all students on campus. Most students do not start taking courses for their intended major until second semester or their sophomore year. In the meantime, choose a general elective that interests you, explore different clubs that suit your varying interests, and talk to older students who are pursuing different majors to see what path you might be interested in pursuing. Many students who do declare a major first semester end up switching one or two times before graduation. This is also perfectly OK. In the grand scheme of things, a major is on average four years of study, while a career will be the majority of your adult life. You want to be sure.

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2. Having the Perfect Resume: This is another point that will frequently be stressed your freshman year. While yes, it is nice and smart to get a jump start on adding extracurriculars, volunteer activities, and part-time job experience to your resume, you also have plenty of time. Aim to add 2-3 things per year to your resume, and make sure there is not a major gap in between responsibilities. You want to show that you were able to hold a position for an average of at least 3-6 months, and did not take too much time off before pursuing a greater opportunity.

3. Your Weight/ Time Spent in the Gym: Life is too short not to eat the pizza. Looking back on your time spent in college, how do you want those memories to look? Do you want to remember the stress of scouring over a menu for calorie content, or do you want to remember sitting on the floor of your dorm room sharing pizza and laughs with your roommates? Do you want to remember nights spent exploring your new city, or nights spent sweating in an overly crowded gym?

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4. A Distinguished Friend Group: The friends you meet during orientation will likely not be the friends you have as you're packing up at the end of your first year. Different course directions, different sets of priorities, and several other factors can come into play why friends drift apart. Keep yourself open to making new friends, and don't take it personally if things between you and a friend drift apart. If it was important to both parties, you'd find a way to make the bond last. If not, you make new ones and move on. College is the time to be a 'floater' and get along with everybody. Open your mind and hangout with different groups of people and you will learn a lot in the process.

5. The Future: Sometimes, it might look like everyone has it all figured out, but you: spring break plans, summer jobs or internships, post-college life plans, etc. Scrolling through social media, you will be bombarded with this false sense of reality. It's important to take a deep breath and remind yourself that everybody posts the highlight reel of their life. Nobody has it figured out, regardless of how old they are or where they are in life. We are all learning as we go and doing the best we can.

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