Five things I learned in freshman year

IT’S August again and the new academic year is right around the corner. As someone who has conquered and made it through my first year of college, I’d like to pass on a few things that I’ve learned in the past year that could help you successfully overcome your freshman year. Here are five things I’ve learned in college thus far:

1. Give yourself time to grow.

College is a whole new playing field and it takes a lot of getting used to, especially if you’ve studied in the same school for most of your life. Some people adjust and adapt to the new environment more quickly than others, and some people don’t—and that’s fine! Go at your own pace and learn how to be comfortable with yourself in the new environment and eventually you’ll find your footing.

2. College takes you out of your comfort zone.

You get exposed to many new things in college, and if you grew up being sheltered all your life like I did, there is a lot that you’re going to have to figure out on your own. For one, meeting new people may be scary for someone who considers themselves shy, but it’s definitely something you’ll encounter in your freshman year. Don’t be afraid to introduce yourself and strike up a conversation with someone because you’ll never know just how well you two will hit it off. You’re also given a greater sense of independence in college, so if you aren’t used to making many decisions by yourself, now is a great time to start.

3. Everything that happens is a learning experience.

Following what I said in the previous number, your classes and school activities will give you plenty of opportunities to learn something new—not just about your course, but about yourself too. My classes and group activities helped me discover what I could get into in my line of work and they helped me become more flexible when working with different people. There are also going to be times when you mess up initially but there’s always going to be room for improvement. I think that it’s a good mindset to have on making mistakes. Your mistakes shouldn’t hinder you from succeeding, but rather they should serve as motivation for you to do better next time. When you know that you can do better at something, it pushes you to try your best the next time you encounter it.

4. The only competition you should have is yourself.

We’re all the same here, doing our best to get by and perform as well as possible. When you compete against other people, you judge yourself based on their success and their values and even if you best them, you’re not really doing it for yourself because you’re playing on someone else’s terms. Comparing your progress with everyone’s makes you feel terrible when things don’t go your way and it becomes toxic for you because you’ll only burn yourself out, in the end. Additionally, if you focus on other people’s achievements rather than your own, you’re not giving yourself room for growth. When you compete against yourself, you’re playing on your own terms and you get to decide what goals you want to achieve first. More importantly, you know what you can do to become better than you already were, so take whatever failures you encounter with grace and a smile because the only one you have to impress is yourself.

5. Lastly, know your limits.

I’m a firm believer in taking breaks every now and then because they really do help you recharge. If studying for exams becomes a little too much, give yourself a break and relax! Drink some water, walk around a little, get some fresh air—don’t push yourself too hard because it isn’t healthy for you either. You’ll do better with a good night’s sleep and a full meal in your stomach, believe me. Stress is inevitable in college, but there are so many ways to unwind and clear your head. It’s only a matter of finding what works for you.

Keep these things in mind and you’re all set! College is an opportunity for a fresh start and to reinvent yourself, so there’s no time like the present.