If you’re a freshman, or even an underclassman in general, this one is for you!

I’m sure at some point in our lives prior to college we’ve all heard people older than us telling us the dos and dont’s of college. Especially the most famous line, “You don’t want to have any regrets.”

I’m sorry to break it to you, but this statement is very accurate and true. Trust me, I’ve been there. It’s very hard as a freshman who is trying to transition from the high school atmosphere to something completely new and different. Granted, I attended college almost in my backyard at a commuter campus so things weren’t as challenging, but I still had to adjust and quickly learn to be an adult that lives on her own and makes her own choices and decisions.

We all just want to have a smooth and exciting college experience. Don’t make it more challenging than it has to be, and push yourself to your full potential. You’d be surprised at how quickly some things in your life can change if you make the effort!

Here are 10 pieces of advice I would give to my freshman self:

• Always keep a planner to write out any and all assignments and keep track of due dates.

  • • I always did this because I’ve always been a real organized person when it comes to school, but this is just one thing that made my life easier and helped me keep track of everything so I was sure not to miss an assignment or important meeting/event. It also feels extremely rewarding to cross things off after completed.

• Don’t get into the habit of skipping class.

  • • I was guilty of this one sometimes for certain classes. When you do it once, it’s much easier to tell yourself that it is alright to skip again. I know we as college students have a lot on our plates and are juggling many different things at once, but I promise in the end you save yourself a lot of stress. And afterall, you’re paying for your classes and education, so make it count.

• Take advantage of all the different resources offered on campus.

  • • Tutoring, study sessions, advisers, professors, and other students here are all free resources available to students on campus, and these people want to help you. There’s also fitness facilities to work out at if you’re a gym junkie or want to simply start running on the treadmill. Also, stay engaged and get involved as much as you can whether it is attending a sporting event, a public speaker event, or even when free stuff is offered and raffled off. You never know the people you could meet and the connections you can make. I regret not getting involved on campus more in clubs and various activities in my previous years. I always made the excuse that I didn’t have enough time, but I realized that time management and priorities are very important to college students. Now, I’m having one of my best years because I am engaged and doing things I love on campus.

• Stay healthy and eat right.

  • • It’s extremely important to get enough sleep and rest and to feed your body the proper nutrition. All of the rumors about “college” food is true. Try to stay away from the frozen microwave dinners and junk food as much as you can. Our campus’ cafe offers tons of healthy food options for decent prices! Some things that have helped me stay healthy during college is exercising, taking my vitamins, and learning more about cooking. It’s fun and rewarding to cook yourself a nice healthy meal 🙂

• Don’t stress about the plan and your future.

  • • This one is probably my biggest piece of advice that means a lot to me. When I first came to college, I had all intentions of pursuing a PTA degree, but before my first day of classes my freshman year, I changed that and was undecided. It wasn’t until mid sophomore year that I realized I wanted to pursue a degree in Corporate Communications. Before that, my interests and ideas were all over the place. And they still are! Your interests and path will change as you grow as a person. I’ve always been an individual that thought I had to have everything together and know exactly what I want and where I’m going to go. That is simply not true. Take the classes that interest you, and don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. We all have a purpose for our lives and I am a firm believer in timing. It will all happen how and when it is supposed to!

• Don’t fall into peer pressure.

  • • Stay true to yourself and your beliefs. Most of us are guilty of falling into peer pressure, and that it ok, but the important part is to learn from it. Be open minded about who your friends are. Not everyone around you has your best interest at heart. Have friends that share similar beliefs and values as you and remember quality over quantity.

• Don’t sweat the small stuff.

  • • I’ve been a perfectionist most of my life, which led me to be a procrastinator in some areas. One of my favorite professors on campus, Mr. Landy really opened my eyes to this one. I’ll never forget our conversations and advice he gave me. Let’s be honest, if you fail an exam or miss an assignment, it is not the end of the world. In five years, or even a month from now you won’t look back and remember these things. Life goes on, and you stress yourself out even more worrying about things that are out of your control or in the past. Just aim to have a better tomorrow 🙂

• Reach out for help when you need it.

  • • Some of us don’t like to ask for help, myself included. But over the years I have learned that we can all learn something from each other. That’s why we’re all unique. How boring would it be if every human on this earth were the same!? Do not feel ashamed to ask people of authority, your parents, or even your peers for help. We’re all just college students trying to make it through. I personally am always available to help you to the best of my ability or to lead you in the right direction to someone who can help.

• Communication is key!

  • • I may be a little biased to this one, since it is my major, but it’s very true. If you’re going to miss class for any reason, reach out to your professors. They’re more inclined to allow make up points for missed work when they see students trying. If you have questions about an assignment, email your professors or see them during their office hours. If you get to know your professors and they get to know you, I’m sure one day if you need a letter of recommendation they would write you one. They can’t do that if they don’t really know you.

• Remember that college goes by fast.

  • • I thought my four years of high school went by fast, but it really feels like I blinked and my college career is coming to an end. I have mixed feelings about this one and really wish I could go back and relive some of these moments. These years go by incredibly fast even though some days it felt like it was never going to end. Remember that there will be good and bad days, but always make sure to have fun and enjoy these moments!

Malcom X once said, “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.”