Come prepared. It's going to be a bumpy ride, BUT it'll be worth it in the end.
One year ago I was stressed to the point of tears thinking about moving into college and starting my freshman year. I had no idea what to expect and the unknown was eating me up. So, I have created a list of I wished I'd known about the first few weeks of college.
You will meet a ton of people
Everyone is new and everyone is trying to meet people. It's going to feel a bit weird but just go with it and take everything as it comes. Remember to live in the moment and don't get in you're own way.
Leave your room.
Do not just stay in your room because this period of everyone being new and looking to meet people will end. Go to the events the your dorm, the university, and your major will host. They are an easy way to meet people and put yourself out there.
Name, Dorm, Major
It's like an instinct of the college freshman. Every time you meet someone new either you will ask them or they will ask you, "What's your name? What dorm are you in? What's your major?" Then neither of you will remember anything about the other and you'll both be on your way.
You (most likely) will not stay friends with the people you meet the first week.
This is a transition period for everyone. You are all looking to meet new people and find your place. And trust me you will meet a lot of new people. As my best friend's mom once said "You gotta kiss a lot of frogs" or hang out with a group of girls once and then never speak again. Needless to say I did not stay close with the people I met the first week, but they became people I would wave or say hi to when I saw them around. I found it nice to see a familiar face, and it helped me adjust and feel more at home on campus.
Drinking - be responsible for yourself
Pace yourself and be mindful of how much you are drinking: you might not remember, but those around you will. Do not count on anyone else to babysit you or make sure you get home safely. There will be plenty of opportunities for you to be the "drunk friend" who doesn't know how she made it home safely soon.
Clinging to your roommate
In the beginning y'all will most likely travel as a pair, and you'll meet other pairs. Slowly, this will end as classes begin and you both begin to branch out on you're own.
"Attending these [campus welcome] events is a great way to...get to know your campus culture." – Samantha L. Solomon, Ph.D.
This is a time of change.
A lot of changes are going to be happening around you. You're growing up and living on your own for the first time. Who you are is most likely going to change. Campus culture is a huge part this. How you dress, talk, act, think, and what you believe is subject to change. College is a time to come into you're own and figure out who you are. You may be changing in different ways than your hometown friends, and that's normal. My best advice is to embrace it and go with the flow.
It will get easier.
Adjusting can be difficult. I honestly didn't think I was going to make it through. I went home a few weeks after school started for a family emergency and begged my grandma to let me stay home, but I went back. I powered through and faced everything as it came to me, which is something I've never done before.
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