The truth about freshman year ~ Part 1

There are many fears that incoming college freshman have as they embark onto their new journey to an unfamiliar place with more strangers than friends.  It can be overwhelming at first, but starting at a place where no one knows your name, or what social group you were a part of in high school, can be a relief. As an incoming college freshman I have a couple questions of my own.  In order to expose the truth behind many of the lingering questions and fears that myself and thousands of other freshman have, I gathered some answers from a couple of reliable sources at my disposal.  

My first interview was with Silvia, a theatre major at the University of Arizona.  Silvia was originally from Portland, Oregon, and in the turn of events, wound up in Tucson Arizona.   

"I moved my senior year of high school, which was a bitch *haha*, and then I wound up going to the U of A, despite all my efforts to get out of Arizona, but then I ended up loving it."  

Silvia had a year of cushioning, she made the transition of being uprooted from her comfort of her hometown a year before she would have to make the transition again in college.  At first, she experienced "a complete culture shock", trying to adapt to Tucson's climate and change of pace from Oregon.  She was prematurely thrown into the same situation she would later face when she became a freshman at the University.  Many students think that going to school in a different state is the answer to finding yourself, or completely cutting ties with the past.  Silvia explained to me that moving to a new city can be really hard, 

"You go through a period of depression for the first 6 months, and you can't really make an honest judgment until a year after you have lived there".  

To anyone reading this article who is venturing into the unknown and going out of state to school, you have to understand that it is completely normal to go through depression, and feeling out of place.  Give yourself some time before you condemn your new home, because you will find the light at the end of the tunnel, you will find friends who you fit in with and the culture will grow on you.  Just remember to have an open mind, and to keep a positive outlook.  If you are not going out of state, and you are worried that you aren't getting far enough away from home, don't get too hung up on it.   The only thing that can hold you back from finding yourself and moving on from the past, is you.  This is a fresh start, even if you are starting over in the same city you grew up in, don't use that as an excuse to hold you back from meeting new people and letting yourself try new things.    

One of her biggest pieces of advice is, 

"Make sure you communicate with your roommate".   

Communication is one of the most important traits to have in your relationship with your roommate, it instills a sense of trust and understanding, and this made Silvia's experience her freshman year an easier transition.  Silvia also accredited her successful experience to the fact that her roommate and her had conflicting schedules.

"The reason that we got along so well was because we had opposite schedules.  We were never really in the room at the same time so it felt like, more or less, you lived alone.  When you live with someone you get on each others' nerves..."   

It is very important to have space in your relationship with your roommate because you are already living is such close quarters.  Time apart from one another gives room to breathe.  It is also very important that if you and your roommate are not exactly best friends, to still be civil with one another.  It is definitely crucial to set up boundaries with your roommate on what you are comfortable with.  For example, I am completely uncomfortable with the thought of my future roommate bringing back guys to our room.  It is one thing if I am not there, but if there are guys sleeping over on weeknights, all hell will break loose!  (If you are reading this future dorm roommate, you have been warned!)  

A lot of freshman worry about "The Freshman Fifteen", well guess what... it's real, and inescapable.  This can not be pin pointed toward being lazy, or all the drinking that happens within the first couple months.  This is more commonly caused by the desire to socialize.  Eating out is a great way to hang out with friends and gaining weight is a group activity.  It is nothing to be ashamed of, but definitely be aware.  If you are very concerned with your body staying in shape, there are ways to trim the freshman fifteen to the freshman three or four.  

"There are healthy alternatives..."

A lot of schools offer meal plans that make it very difficult for the student to eat healthy.  Most student unions are made up of pizzerias and fast food vendors, leaving their consumers feeling groggy and gross afterwards.  It is a struggle to eat healthy, but after talking to Silvia, she explained that there are other options that, although inconvenient, are available.  The best example of a healthier alternative is buying groceries so you can cook in the public kitchens.  This may take more time and be more expensive than using your meal card, but it makes a difference in how your body feels after eating. 

A lot of incoming freshman are wondering, "Is it a good idea to have a job freshman year?  Is it too overwhelming?"  Having a job can be very beneficial, simply for the most obvious reasons: 1.) You will have extra spending money and 2.) You will learn the value of money.  Silvia recommends having a job to "Keep you more facile, it gets you more down to Earth...  It helps to give you the money to use for going out and hanging out with friends."  Having a job does not have to interfere with school work.  It is very easy to coordinate your schedule with your employer if you are honest from the beginning on how many shifts you can take on.  Don't overload your schedule with 4 shifts a week or else school has lost its slot as the main priority in your life.  It is a lot better manage 1-2 shifts a week, giving yourself time to socialize and keep up on your studies.  

Do you still have questions about freshman year?  Part two is on its way, touching the subjects such as dating in college, what kind of work load to expect, and hearing a guys point of view on these subjects.