Your Freshman year of college is one of the biggest years of your life. It is full of lots of change and many new responsibilities. Your first year of college is the year that you will figure a lot of stuff out about who you are and what makes you passionate. With all of the changes happening in this year of your life here are a few tips for every new college student.

• GET INVOLVED!!!!! You are going to hear this from multiple people within your first semester . . . it may seem repetitive and not important to you because you may already feel like you are too busy. But I promise you, this is the most important part of your freshman year. Getting involved in a few clubs will help you meet some of the best people you will ever meet, that are most likely going through the same things you are and will be there to encourage you along the way. I 100% know I could not have gotten through my first two semesters without my roommates and friends.

• I know the dorm life doesn’t seem all that fun, but I highly suggest that you live in one for your freshman year! Being on campus makes it super easy to be involved in the clubs I mentioned already, as well as meeting new people! My best friends are my roommates and the girls next door! We do virtually everything together and I am so thankful to have them all in my life!

• Here’s another tip for surviving the dorm life . . . DON’T PAY FOR LAUNDRY UNLESS YOU REALLY HAVE TOO! Not going to lie, I have had to do laundry a few times while I have lived here, but if I don’t have to I will wait until I go home! Truth is, it may not seem expensive at first, but it adds up! Very quickly! If there’s something every college student has in common, its definitely the panic of money. So, try to hold out until you make it home to do laundry . . . but of course choose paying for laundry over wearing smelly clothes!

• You know that kid that you sit next to in class 3 days a week and still don’t know his name? Introduce yourself! Most likely the person sitting next to you is struggling in the class with the same things you are! Sometimes going to a tutor session doesn’t quite clear everything up for you, and the kid sitting next to you might feel the same way! I have survived some of the hardest chemistry and soil science topics because of the people that I sit next too! It is super helpful to have someone to talk things out with, and do homework and study with. So, don’t be shy, most likely the person sitting next to you is scared to introduce themselves as well!

• CALL YOUR PARENTS! You may be getting your first taste of freedom, and think that you don’t need to talk to your parents once a week, but truth is . . . you do. Your parents will always be there to support you when you are feeling down about yourself or struggling in a class. They also will be there to offer some very wise advice about big steps in your life you are thinking about making. I’m not afraid to admit that I have a group message with my parents and still message them every time I take a test, because they are my biggest cheerleaders!

These are only five of the most important lessons I have learned during my freshman year of college, but I think they are the most important ones! To any upcoming freshman enjoy every minute of it, because it goes by fast and will be one of the best years of your life!

In Sisterhood,

Ruthie Garnas