Make the Most of College by Being Open

Your Freshmen year of college is sure to be a lot of fun…if you let it. You have many opportunities ahead of you, but you must be willing to take advantage of them.

  • The student who transfers mid-way through the year is the one who was not making the most of their time and embracing everything the school has to offer.
  • The student who leaves for summer vacation and can’t wait to get back to campus is the one who spent every moment fully immersing themselves in the campus and its people.

Make yourself be the student ready to return, not the one dying to get away.

In order to make the most of your experience the first year my one piece of advice, which applies to a myriad of situations, is this; Be open.

Be open to…

…New people.

You will meet plenty of them. Some will have very similar backgrounds to yours. Others will not. They will be from all areas of the country and have different upbringings than you had.

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You will naturally click with some, while others you may have a tendency to write off. Don’t. College is not the time to be clicky.

You may not become great friends with everyone you meet, but getting to know as many people as possible is intrinsic to the college experience.

…New ideas.

Again, it is likely that your friends and the vast majority of the people at your high school shared the same political ideals, religion, income status, and general outlook on life.

Your college may be a wake-up call. You will come to realize there is more than one way to view the world. You will be challenged by ideas you do not share.

However, do not close yourself off. Embrace new viewpoints, but also don’t be afraid to express your own.

…New challenges.

For most, college will pose a significant academic test. You will need to be diligent in your studies and not take them lightly. This is particularly true in your Freshmen year.

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In order to rise to the occasion, you will need to continually self-evaluate yourself and your academic progress. If you find you are falling behind in a certain area, seek help.

Your first year is critical to the success of the rest of your college career. Take the time now to focus and do well, your final GPA come graduation time will thank you.

…New opportunities.

Exciting classes, group trips, and active clubs all present ways to make the college experience more enjoyable and advantageous for your future career. Throw yourself into as many of these as possible early on. They make the experience more interesting and often teach you about yourself.

Lastly, have fun! Not too much of course (too many have made that mistake) but without the Friday night parties and “hall sports” your first year can be dull. This will directly affect your academics so, please, find a good balance between the two and Freshmen year will go smoothly.