Are you stressed out about starting college? I get it! It can be incredibly stressful to enter into so much unknown and not even know how to prepare for it.
Today, I want to share with you five tips that I truly wish someone had shared with me before I started my freshman year of college. Keep reading to learn from my mistakes!
If you are interested in learning more about move-in day, sorority recruitment, dorm life, and college advice, check out my college section for all this info! For your closely approaching college move-in day, be sure to check out 6 Dorm Move-In Day Tips That Are Essential For College.
1. Figure out a calendar system that works for you
For some reason, this never even crossed my mind when I was preparing to go off to college, despite my avid to-do listing and organization. For example, does Google Calendar work for you, or do you find a physical planner more helpful? It is one of my regrets because I didn't have a system to keep my schedule in order during a crucial time packed with important things to do every day.
During freshman year, you will be pulled in a million and one different directions. You will need a way to keep all your ducks in a row! Find what works for you to keep your commitments and due dates in order.
For example, does Google Calendar work for you, or do you find a physical planner more helpful?
TIP: Add all your essential due dates to your calendar at the beginning of the school year. For example, I put my crucial tests, presentations, and significant assignments in my calendar and color-code them in a certain Google tab color. That way, I never miss the most significant assignments.
2. Plan where/when you will work out
Figure out when you will work out, at what gym, how you will pay for the membership, and how much time you will need to allot in your schedule. And do this BEFORE you go to college.
I did not research any gyms in my area, nor did I allot a specific time in my schedule to go to the gym each day. This left me feeling gross and lethargic a few weeks into college. However, if I had hit the ground running right when I started school, knowing the gym I was going to attend and when I would go, I would never have had such a problem getting back into a routine of going to the gym.
3. Research and identify the organizations you want to get involved in
Before starting your first day of classes, be sure to research the academic clubs and campus involvement opportunities available at your university. Chances are that the applications for most clubs will be due before classes start or around the time they begin. Be prepared to complete the applications. Be ready to go to interviews.
I wish someone had told me that I needed to get involved immediately in my freshman year, because as someone who wanted to be involved in campus organizations, it caused me to have to play catch-up later.
I highly recommend taking advantage of the interview experience while you’re a freshman, even if you don't get chosen for a position or a club. You'll gain valuable interview experience and become more comfortable talking in front of people, which will help you throughout college and beyond.
4. There are good girls in every sorority
Stereotypes aren’t representative of a whole sorority, and regardless of whether it's the "top house" or the "bottom house," there will be good girls who contribute to the chapter's success and there will be bad girls who harm the chapter.
Do not be too hard on yourself about which sorority chapter you join. You will be able to find friends in all of them!
Check out my whole page on sorority recruitment tips & advice for more!
5. The first few weeks are absolutely EXHAUSTING
The first month or so of college was one of the most tiring and overwhelming points of my life. Making new friends, trying new things, playing football games, learning a new place, and striving for good grades - life moves incredibly fast, and it will be exhausting & joyful at the same time.
It was incredibly enjoyable, and I grew significantly within myself and my relationship with God during those first few months, as I began to discover who I was apart from my parents. You will experience this too, and it may cause you to drift from past friendships. Just know that God has good plans for your life and your friendships.
Freshman year of college is so much fun! It's just a lot, and I wish someone had prepared me, so here I am passing it along. I tell you this just to warn you that you will experience a range of emotions, from tired and overwhelmed to joyful and curious, all at the same time, and that's okay!
I truly hope this post helped you learn a few things about college before starting. You are going to do great! God has good plans for your life, especially when your life doesn't go according to plan; remember, His plans are better.
With Love,
Isabella XO
