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I am officially all moved into my college apartment and am reunited with my roommates! It feels so good to be back and see all my friends again. Since I am back at college and I mentioned that this post will include some tips for surviving school, I thought it would be fun to interview my roommates and see what advice they have besides just sharing my advice.
(My roommates and I are all sitting in the living room and I haven't asked them if they'd want to do this or not yet... Here goes nothing.)
How did your first day of college go?
Jill: "Since I walked my schedule the day before I found it really easy to find my classes. I found it was really similar to high school. The professors hand out a lot of syllabi, we did introductions, class expectations and other things like that."
Ginny: "Hmmm.. It was terrifying at first. I was more nervous to go to class than I was going to the social events. Being surrounded by my peers and meeting my professors was nerve racking. But I was surprised, by the end of the day, at how easy it was to adjust to the college lifestyle. "
Sam: "It went good. I found my classes okay because I went a day ahead and found my classes. I didn't find any of this nerve racking. It just reminded me of high school. Our college is so small that it basically just reminded me of high school classes."
Noelle: "I honestly don't know if it was more nerves or excitement on my first day. Probably a good mix of both. Like the other said, I walked around the day before classes started to get more familiar with where my classes are and that really helped my first day go a lot smoother. Otherwise it went well. You don't get a lot, if any, homework the first day so after I was done with my classes I just went to my dorm and watched Netflix."
Where you nervous to live away from home?
Jill: "A little bit. But I was too excited to be nervous."
Ginny: "The summer before my freshman year I was really excited. It wasn't until my parents left that I started to get really nervous. Even my sophomore year was kind of the same way. I think change is always one of those things that is nerve racking even if it's not bad."
Sam: "I was actually more eager to get out of my house. You're able to make more of your own decisions."
Noelle: "Not really. I thought I was going to be more nervous but I really wasn't. I was excited to be in a dorm and live at college and to see what this new adventure had to offer."
What should I do if I don't know anyone at my college?
Jill: "If you are too shy or scared to join clubs, making friends with people in your dorm is a good option. If you make friends with them then they live near by and it is easier to hang out with them."
Ginny: "Luckily for me I knew my roommate, but as cliche as it sounds you really do need to get out of your dorm and meet people. Also you don't need to be friends with the first people you meet. You'll meet more people along the way."
Sam: "What I would do, like Ginny said, join clubs that catch your interest. I met you guys [Jill, Ginny, and Noelle] through bowling club. The friends you meet in college last longer than the friends you had in high school."
Noelle: "Unlike the other girls, I can totally relate to this question. I didn't know a single person at my college and that was probably the thing I was the most scared and nervous about when coming to college. From personal experience, just try to get to know other people in your dorm, talk to the people you sit by in classes, and try to get involved in different things on campus."
Is getting involved in activities and organizations on campus really as important as everyone says?
Jill: "I think you should try to find at least one thing that you can belong to or be involved with to help keep yourself busy."
Ginny: "If it's something you want to do, do it. If it's not then don't do it. Don't join a club just to join a club, if you don't enjoy it."
Sam: "Basically they are saying that so you are meeting more people and hopefully making more friends. And they are saying that so you hopefully don't get as homesick."
Noelle: "I think so. Like Ginny said, don't join something just to join it. If you join things that you enjoy then you will meet other people that also enjoy it. It is a great way to meet other people and make friends, especially if you don't know anyone at your school."
Should I bring everything I own to college?
Jill: "No. Make sure you bring things that you will actually use. Last year I brought two photo albums that I never even looked at. Bringing extra coats, gloves, hats and mittens is always a good idea because you never know when you might leave your favorite hat in the dining hall and lose it forever."
Ginny: "I had the opposite problem than most people have with packing for college. I didn't bring enough stuff. But I say if you do find that you have more than you need, just pack it away and bring it back with you the next time you go home."
Sam: "No. You are giving a limited amount of space and storage so you won't want to bring everything you own. Bring the stuff that you would actually use and just a few decorative posters or decorations."
Noelle: "No. I brought a lot of stuff to college and then almost had a panic attack when I first walked into my dorm and saw how small it was. Honestly bring the things you really need or will actually use and if you forgot something you can always run to Walmart or Target. And if you end up having too much stuff just store it somewhere until you go home next."
What is it like to live in a dorm? Is it hard living with a roommate?
Jill: "No, I think if you guys can get along and set expectations that both of you can follow. Like, taking turns to take out the trash or no visitors after 11pm. Living in a dorm is very cramped. Make sure you have a bathrobe if you don't live in a suite because you never know who might be in the hallway when you are getting done with your shower."
Ginny: "Luckily for me, again, I got along with my roommate just fine. And it was respecting boundaries that made it so easy to live with another person. As far as living in a dorm, it's not glamorous in the slightest. It's cramped and the bathrooms are gross, but it is all part of the college experience."
Sam: "It wasn't really [hard living with a roommate] because I already knew my roommate. [Living in a dorm] was okay, I mean it served its purpose."
Noelle: "I actually really liked living in a dorm. I enjoyed being really close to everything, especially in the middle of winter. I didn't find it hard at all living with a roommate. We got a long really well and respected each other, our space, and our things. We never became best friends or anything but we got a long and were able to live with each other. And that's really all that matters."
What advice do you have for incoming freshman?
Jill: "Don't worry if you don't make friends or close friends the first week. It may seem like everyone already has their best friends but yours will come along eventually."
Ginny: "Stay open-minded and accept things as they happen. Don't stress out about them too much and take responsibility."
Sam: "Study and make sure you get stuff done on time. Procrastination is NOT a good idea."
Noelle: "Sleep is so important! I never really had to worry about making sure I got enough sleep before college. But once I was at college, especially towards the end of the year I learned just how important sleep is and how important it is to get enough sleep. There was one day when I stayed up until 7:30am to do a project and then woke up at 8:30am to finish it. I ended up getting physically ill and it was so incredibly awful. So my advice is, don't forget to sleep!"
Did your freshman year go as expected?
Jill: "For the most part. I made friends that I didn't expect to have and I had classes that I didn't anticipate requiring me to do the things I had to. But overall, I feel like it was a pretty normal college experience."
Ginny: "Media made it seem like it was going to be a lot more social than anything. It was a lot more balancing school/work, socializing, and sleep than I had ever had to do before."
Sam: "Well, I didn't realize how much free time I had. I thought I was going to just be doing classwork 24/7. I was actually surprised how easy my first year of classes were."
Noelle: "I guess so. I feel like I fantasized it being a super amazing college experience where nothing ever goes wrong, but obviously that wasn't going to happen. I knew to not expect my roommate and I to be best friends which was probably good because we aren't, but the fact that we never got extremely close opened up the ability to meet other people who are now my best friends. I guess I wasn't expecting to learn so much about myself. You definitely learn a lot of life lessons, some the easy way but a lot of them the hard way. Overall, it was an amazing year and I wouldn't change a second of it."
Hopefully these tips and advice will help you get ready for college and not be as nervous.
If you're in college already what tips or advice do you have for incoming college freshmen?
Love Always,
xo Noelle
