BTS: 12 Things I Wish Knew As a College Freshmen

Hi friends! My Back-To-School series is finally coming to an end, and I just hope that this series has been helpful to you guys so far! If you have already started school, I hope it's going well and if you're like me and you started today, I hope your first day went by smoothly.  Being a freshman in college brings so much excitement but at the same time it's also really nerve-wracking because it's college, you're new and you're pretty much starting a new life. To close the series, I want to make life a little easier for all the freshmen out there and give you guys a couple tips to get through this new era in your lives. I thought it will also be very helpful to include tips from other college bloggers who have been there, done that!

1. Don't buy textbooks from campus bookstores!

"I wish I knew about all the ways you could save money on textbooks! I thought the only way to get the books I needed was by buying them at the campus bookstore. Way too expensive! Just buy/rent on Amazon and you save tons!"- Sami Mast from The Classic Brunette

I totally agree with Sami on this because the campus bookstore really does charge so much more for textbooks, It's ridiculous! Do we somehow all look like Oprah to them? You're literally going to miss high school for this very reason! I remember complaining all the time in high school about getting those huge textbooks that weighted tons at no charge, but now I will go above and beyond to get free textbooks again. Make sure you sell your textbooks at the end of the year so you can get some of your money back! I wrote a whole post on where to sell your used textbooks, so check it out!

2. Choose your classes wisely

I'm you're one of those people whose day doesn't really start until at least 10 AM (This is so me!), then you really don't want to take 8 AM classes. The earliest my classes have ever started is 12 PM with the exception of this semester because one of my classes starts at 10:30 AM. Don't take online classes because you think they're easier than the regular ones, you'll soon learn that it doesn't work that way.

3. Maybe don't post all your party pics on social media

So you probably want to show all your friends back home that you're having the time of your life and college is so fun! Just try to refrain yourself because those picture just get annoying and most employers check social media now while reviewing applications so you don't want them to judge your person by those pictures. 

Make sure you do a regular "clean up" on all your social medias. If there's anything that you think might hurt you if a potential employer saw it, delete it. These can be pictures of you engaging in underage drinking, smoking, excessive use of curse words, and the likes. If you're not sure about some, just delete them. Better be safe than sorry.

4. You don't have to fake it

"College parties are not for everyone, and that’s okay. Yes, that’s an opportunity to branch out with other people in your major or your faculty, but if you’re not comfortable, don’t push it. There are other ways for you to meet new people and to make friends." - Amelie from A Wanderer's Adventures

If the whole party scene isn't your thing, you don't have pretend like it is just to fit in with your friends. If your idea of a good time involves staying in and watching Netflix, then you do that! No, that doesn't make you a party pooper! Just do you!

5. You don't have to declare a major right away

At the beginning of my freshmen year, I wasn't too sure on what I wanted to major in, and it bothered me a lot because I thought I was supposed to have everything figured out already. I honestly couldn't have been more wrong. Don't stress yourself out because you're not totally sure about what you want to do, just make sure you have things figured out by the end of the year so you don't take too many classes you don't actually need. 

6. Don't neglect your health

Make sure you regularly make time for yourself to just breathe and replenish your energy. School and outside commitments can be very stressful to manage, so it's important to constantly check on your wellbeing. Don't wait until you get really sick to do something about your health, prevent getting sick by regularly taking care of yourself!

"You need a planner. Planners helps you to organize your day, week, month and the whole semester. Do not forget to find time for yourself for pampering. It can be time out with friends or even a visit to the beach" - Marietta Degrant from The Marietta DeGrant Blog

"It's okay to get help when you need it. Please don't let your mental health go to the wayside. Put you first!" - Courtney from Simply Bumbling Along

7. Chase the free food!

To be honest, who doesn't like free food? If you're ever hungry and you don't want to buy food, just stop by events that might be taking place on campus and feast! 

8. Ask for help when you need it

"Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. No one is going to come up to you and ask if you are okay, so you need to seek out help yourself. If you seek help (whether it be from a counselor, doctor, or a professor), chances are good that you will get it" - Aly Larkin from Welcome to Aly's World

Aly where were you my freshmen year!? I had to learn this the hard way, which was no fun at all! I think I was still stuck in my high school days where my teachers constantly asked if I needed any help, came up to me to see if there was anything I didn't understand and so on. I barely ever went to them for help, they came to me, which is super different in college. Your professors won't run after you to see if you need any help. If you do, you need to go to them and they'll gladly help you. Go to office hours, email them, you can even call them sometimes.

9. There will be struggles

"Sometimes things won't go as planned and that's okay as long as you find a way to do better and make the most of what's going on. There will be times where you might not know where you stand but you will find great friends who will be by your side your freshman year." - Andrea Luna from Society Being

10. Learn how to manage your money

I used to buy a bunch of stuff because I thought they were really cute and not because I actually needed them, and then I would wonder why I always ran out of money so fast. I would blow my monthly budget in two weeks and basically stay broke for the remainder of the month. Tragic. Don't be like me guys. Learn how to manage your money wisely from the get go. The good news is, I have since learned from my mistakes and I’m doing much better now when it comes to managing my money.

11. Get a job

"Try to find an internship or part-time job so that you have work experience on top of your education. Employers really like to see that!" - Tori from Chase the Write Dream

12. You will grow apart from your high school friends

You know how you and your friends swore that you will always talk to each other every day and you will remain best friends forever? Well, as lovely that sounds, that's probably not how things are going to play out. You see, life will happen, and you won't be as close with your high school friends as you once were but that's okay. Everything in life eventually comes to an end and your high school chapter is no exception. Embrace college and the amazing experiences and memories that will come along with it.

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