3 Things I Wish I Knew Before Freshman Year

Sep 27, 2018 • Ellie J.

Hello friends!

If you haven’t met me yet, my name is Ellie!  I am a junior here at Liberty University, and I am studying Communications.   I am new on the student blogger team, and I’m so thrilled to share my experiences here at Liberty with you all!

I’m sure for many of you, college seems exciting and scary all at once!  That’s how I felt, too.  This post is going to be a little insight of a few things I wish I knew before I was a freshman. 

1.  Be yourself:

            I’m sure you’ve heard this a million times already, but it is very important! It can be pretty nerve-wracking trying to make friends when you first show up at college.  I can promise you, the best way to make friends is to be yourself! People will love you for you. 

            A few tips to make friends is to go to all the freshman events the first week you are on campus! Another tip is to get involved in a club that piques your interest (Liberty has tons!) or play a sport with an intramural team!

            I was so nervous to meet people during my freshman year.  I wasn’t sure if anyone would like me.  But I can promise you, the friends you make in college will change your life.  It is worth it to step out of your comfort zone and meet some people!

2.  It is okay to not have it all figured out:

            Picking a major, meeting deadlines, getting sleep, socializing…it can be really overwhelming.  Take a deep breath, it’s going to be okay!  When I first got to Liberty, I was undeclared, confused as to how college classes worked, and not the kind of person who could survive on 4 hours of sleep.

            It may be really overwhelming at first, so take it one day at a time!  Your professors and your hall leadership are here to help and answer any question you may have.  And even when you may have FOMO (fear of missing out), make sure to get the rest you need!

            Pro tip: Go find your classrooms a few days before classes start.  If you aren’t familiar with the room numbers, it can be pretty confusing! Going to check them out before classes start will allow you to avoid the stress of finding them the day of!

3.  How to make the most of a dorm room:

            Less is more! You probably won’t need to bring every t-shirt you own.  I ended up bringing back lots of my clothes when I went home for Thanksgiving break.

            If you’re anything like me, I wanted to make sure my dorm was comfortable and looked nice! I loved my dorm room freshman year, but I had too many things.  Instead of getting 5 throw pillows, choose 2 that you really love!  The walls in my dorm freshman year were practically covered.  This year, there are lots more wall space, but it is still very homey and looks great!

Although all these tips are helpful, the best advice I can give to an incoming Freshman is to trust that God is going to take care of you, that His love will guide you, calm all your fears, and give you peace.  Ephesians 3:20 says that God will do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine!  Your freshman year is going to be incredible!