Freshman, Take Heed: Being without a Clue is Your Best Friend
Wednesday, August 17, 2011 at 11:20AM By Alison Angel
Alison Angel - Culture EditorAs I sit down to write this, all I keep thinking is one thing: what can I possibly tell the incoming freshman class that will enlighten them, teach them, or just make the adjustment easier?
Answer: well, nothing. But I can at least help you to realize that college isn’t just classes and deadlines: it’s an entire culture within itself, and you’re about to become completely immersed.
When I was a freshman, the images that came to mind when I thought of my first year of college weren’t typical images of holing up in the library and pulling all nighters. I didn’t even think about the new group of friends I would most likely make that would be there for the rest of my life.
Nope, when I pictured college, I saw a big void, filled with nothing but uncertainty when I’d always known what was ahead. Basically, I didn’t have a clue what I’d be getting into when I moved onto campus. It was both foreign and awesome. And then panic set in: as someone who likes to know what lies ahead in my life, having four years of not knowing really hit me hard.
But I’m going to let you in on a little secret: that void is going to be your best friend.
Without my minimal freakout about the future as a freshman, I probably wouldn’t be where I am now in any respect of life. I found my way really fast and learned how to tackle pretty much anything head on, and that’s a skill that’s going to benefit way past college.
The second you step foot on campus and become a part of it your whole world is going to change; you’ll practically be a different person from week to week as you experience everything and figure out who you’re going to be for the next 40 or 50 years. If you take the time to just jump into the unknown, let it ride- you’re probably going to be a lot better off. And lets face it, now that you’re here what other option do you have?
Make friends with feeling clueless, because you’re going to be feeling it a lot once you get here and eventually you’re going to appreciate that it means you have all the choices in the world.
Just remember that it only lasts for this brief moment in time. You have four years to try everything and have endless possibilities while being in-between launching your own life and still feeling (and acting) like a kid. And that is awesome.
This advice is not new, but it bears repeating. You have four years here to change what you want to change and be who you want to be. It’s a culture shock, but it’s a shock that will jolt you quite literally into your future as you make more and more decisions as an official college student.
Enjoy your time now and never judge anything until you try it. Trust me on this one.
Yes, you come into college not having a clue what friends you’ll make, where anything is, or what you’ll be doing a year from now.
But just wait and see: if you make friends with uncertainty, you’ll start to see it as the particular kind of freedom that only college allows.
As for the stereotypical dilemmas of college life, I only have a few words of advice: try not to sleep through class every day (easier said than done); take every opportunity to get out on campus and just have fun; and leave high school completely behind you because here it’s a whole different ball game. No one is going to tolerate the kind of judgement and cliques so often faced in those halls, and the best part? You don’t have to, either.
Occasionally, you are going to be scared. You are going to be late to class. You are going to pull all nighters. These are sadly unavoidable. But, if you open up and let yourself fully embrace change, you might also make some of the best friends you could hope for, plan out the rest of your life, and meet the love of your life, be it person or passion. So embrace everything, the good and the bad, and welcome to the college culture: you’re in for a treat.
