WAKE UP CALL: What you NEED to know about college.

In honor of refund checks and Welcome Week approaching, here are a few important things that you should know, before the start of the school year...

Less is More. To be honest, this is the case when it comes to social media, socializing, and packing. You don't need your entire wardrobe, or your entire room. TRUST ME. I brought every pair of shoes I owned my freshman year, and as I continue to move out of my off-campus apartment (three months after I graduated), I am still regretting this decision. Side note: I've also heard that this can also be the case for jewelry - especially on interviews.
Your Professors are NOT Your Favorite High School Teachers! As much as I would like to tell you that all college professors, instructors and teaching assistants are awesome, it's just not true. And, as much as I would like to tell you that all of your college courses will be as easy as your high school courses, that's just not true either. Some of your class sizes will be much larger, and the work can be a lot harder. Office hours can be mandatory for success in the course, and your most independent professors, may be a lot harder to schedule additional meeting times with. However, you're an adult now and your professors/instructors/TA's don't have to work with you.
Getting Involved can MAKE or BREAK your college career. There are a lot of different organizations on campus and there’s something for everyone. If not, there's a way to start it. Go to events, meetings and information nights to check out what clubs your school has to offer. It’s one of the best ways to make friends with people who are interested in the same things you are, plus extracurricular activities look great on resumes, scholarship applications, award nominations and grad school applications. It’s a win-win! Just make sure you remember that you're a student first, so your homework and studying should be your top priority.
Be social. Be friendly. This is so important. Keep your door open during the day, make friends with your neighbors and hall mates, sit with strangers at the dining hall, and be friendly with the people in your classes. During the first few weeks, everyone will be trying to find their place and get to know everyone else; take advantage and befriend as many people as you can! But, don’t be discouraged if you don’t find people you click with right away or if you don’t find your best friend in the first week. It takes time, but it will happen.The first people I struggled with in class and late at night in my dorm, are some of my closest friends, 4 years later. I also took this time to reconnect with an old friend from elementary school, and it was the best decision I made while in college.
Refund Checks = A Loan with Interest Please be careful with refund checks, you guys. I've seen quite a lot of Tweets already, and I'm concerned. I need you all to be very clear about where this refund comes from. Unless you have a full academic or athletic scholarship, in addition to outside scholarships, your "refund" is just a loan that you approved, had money left over, and got deposited into your account. You're still paying interest on it, if it's unsubsidized; but either way, the amount is still being credited toward your balance and you will be required to pay it back.
You MUST be witty, while being litty. It goes without saying that there will be parties and there will be alcohol and there will be peer pressure. Whatever you do, make safe decisions. When you go to a party, leave with a friend that you TRUST and don’t go home without them. YOU must always watch your drink and never leave it unattended. Don’t go somewhere alone with anyone that you don’t know. You may be there to have fun but your safety should always come first. Make smart decisions.
Don't rush into a relationship. I don’t care if she has gorgeous eyes. I don’t care if he’s Greek, an upperclassmen and oh-so-fine. Take those first few months to make friends and to adjust to college and focus on your classes. You’re going through enough changes as it is without having to adjust to a new relationship too.
If you're already in a relationship, don't let it affect your time at college. This is the time where you need to be making new friends and discovering who you’re going to be. Staying in on a Friday night to FaceTime with your significant other is okay every now and then, but not every weekend. If you choose to continue a relationship with your high school sweetheart, you both should encourage each other to branch out and thrive in your new environments. If it doesn't work out at first, that's okay too. Trust me. You can break up freshman year to have your "me time," be back together by sophomore year and engaged by junior year!
You're probably going to get homesick. It’s okay to call and visit every now and then, but visiting too much can cripple you. You may visit so much, that you never actually get used to actually being "away" at college. Just know that it will get better and eventually the tables will turn and when you’re home you’re going to feel sad and miss school. The time you spend at college will be one of the best times of your life, so don’t waste them. Try not to go home every weekend or isolate yourself because you miss home so much.
Everything will be okay. You're a trooper. It may take a few days, a few weeks, or even a few months, but you will find your place. Take comfort in knowing that every other freshman is probably just as nervous as you and trying to find their place too. But it's okay. You all will do great things, make good grades, become involved on campus, study abroad, intern and be done before you know it!