‘you don’t want to look back, and know you could’ve done better’

Starting college is exciting and daunting at the same time. You’re excited for this incredible journey that everyone has been talking about since you were four years old! But at the same time, you feel nervous and anxious, doubting whether the next year will be as amazing as everyone has pictured it or not. Well, let me tell you, many people overrated college journey, so don’t expect too much! (remember expectation leads to disappointment, ops!)

BUT, with that said, college is one in a lifetime experience that you’ll never forget. The thing is, only around 25% of people truly enjoy their freshman year. Many people feel disappointed with their experience because they expected too much (that’s why I said no expectations!). Others, however, did not manage to do the right thing in their freshman year. They make too many mistakes that when they become senior, they regret it and wish they could tell their younger self how to enjoy their freshman year a little bit more. The good news here is that I am about to share with you exactly how to rock your freshman year, so you can do it the right way from the beginning!

#1 Attend Every Single Activity During Orientation

The first rule on how to rock your freshman year is to attend every single activity in your orientation. By the time you receive the list of activities, you are allowed to join, join as much as you can. Check the timetable carefully, see which one is compulsory (you must attend this!), and see the rest of the optional activities, make sure you fill the gap between the compulsory activities with the optional ones. This is a good start to look around the campus, familiarize yourself with your surroundings, as most importantly, to get to know as many people as you can!

#2 Really Get to Know Your Roommate

When you first move into your dorm, you need to get to know your roommate. What I mean by this is truly get to know them, not just being friendly. There’s a high chance that your roommate will be your friend. But it’s not always the case, as many people don’t get along with their roommates, and that’s okay! I’m not asking you to be ‘best-friend’ with your roommates, but just try to really get to know them. Ask what are they studying, which society they’re planning to join, where are they from, etc etc. See whether you think you’ll get along or not. Most of the times we can feel the vibe from someone after getting to know them. To know whether you’ll get along with your roommate is a good start. If you think you’ll get along then it’s great! But if not, don’t worry, there are plenty of people on your campus and chances are at least two of them will be your best friends!

#3 Join 2 Student Society (not more, not less!)

Student society is a nice place to do the activity you enjoy while making friends! It’s a really nice place to socialize and make friends. It’s also easier to find friends that will get along with you in student society because chances are you have similar interests (I mean you’re in the same society, so you must be interested in the society you join!). I recommend joining 2, not more or less because less than this won’t give you many things to do while more, will be too much. I made this mistake when I joined 5 student societies and ended up not going to any of them (yeah, I wasted 30 bucks on it). So, make sure you don’t join too much society. Two is enough but truly commit to them. If you do this you’ll rock your freshman year!

#4 Volunteer 1–2 Hours A Week

Volunteering is another good way to meet people and make friends. It is also good to help society by volunteering. Not enough reason to volunteer? Well, your future employer will be very impressed if you volunteer during your study. You don’t need to volunteer 30 hours/week. You just need to give one or two hours of your spare time. Find something you’re interested in and volunteer in that sector.

#5 Work Part-Time Approximately 10 Hours A Week

If money is not in a way of your degree, then that’s good! But it’s always good to have a part-time job, not only because you’ll earn extra cash, but also it will be good for your CV (same as volunteering). Working part-time will also be a good place to meet new people and make friends! I keep saying to ‘meet people and make friends’ because it’s very important to do this in your first year. By the time you’re in second, or third, or senior year, you will not have much time to make new friends. By working part-time it will also help you to make friends outside the college, which is good as it expands your circle of friends!

#6 Attend 85% of the Lectures

Okay, this is boring but it’s important because many people regret this later in a year. You need to make sure that you attend at least 85% of the lectures. It’s very easy to skip lectures when you’re still in your first year but make sure you don’t do too much on this as you’ll regret it by the time you’re a senior. But also make sure that you don’t study too much, as this is still your first year. You need to enjoy it by doing other activities. In the end, it’s all about balance. So. make sure you can balance both!

#7 Join Sorority / Search Options for Sorority

If you’re not into sorority you can skip this but honestly, I’d recommend joining a sorority! It’s a good place to meet people that will take care of each other. If you’re not on one at the moment, search options for sorority available in your college. Check which one resonates with you the most and ask if you can join later in a year / next year. Different sorority from different universities has different rules so make sure you check it correctly.

#8 Join College Parties At Least Once A Week

Last but not least is to join college parties at least once a week. It’s good to mingle once in a while! College parties also good fun and a great place to meet people within the campus. Just make sure you attend the non-alcoholic one if you’re underage, and if you’re on your legal age then drink responsibly!