Ten Tips to Thrive in your Freshmen Year

Just a few months ago, they were high school seniors, and now… they’re little freshmen again. Make this year count, my friends! Here’s my top 10 tips to thrive in your Freshmen year:

1. Reinvent yourself. You don’t have to live in the box that was “you” for the past 18 years. Those things people thought about you that you never thought were true, or you believed even though you didn’t want to, or maybe that were true… and you wanted to change but couldn’t because everyone had already formed their opinions… you can change all that. I used to be shy in high school – like super shy, except around my closest friends. My freshmen year, I was determined to break free of that description that had unintentionally been put on me. So I did. I stopped fearing the opinions of others and started to speak up. You can do it!
2. Don’t stress… about people’s opinions. Find your people – the people you can chill out with in your sweats at 2am… or in the dining hall, the ones who make you laugh care enough about you to hold you accountable. The ones who you can cry with and eat whatever you want with. The ones who like you for who you are and aren’t trying to get you to do things you don’t want to.
3. Go line-dancing. Seriously, do it. Not by yourself, but with your peeps. Dress up and go out. Just do it.
4. Ditch the bae. I’m not saying break-up your relationship or friendship, but do stuff without them. Open yourself up to new friendships. The best decisions I made my freshmen year was to not go home every weekend and not get into a serious relationship. I made some of my best friends in all the world… and we are still best friends. I had time for them because I wasn’t attached to a boy or bestie.
5. Play intramural sports … or join in on campus activities. It is an awesome way to de-stress, have fun and meet people. It was one of my favorite things about college. I still have my all-star volleyball tee 🙂
6. Lean into your passions. Don’t let school gen eds and your major work take over. Set time aside to learn something new or hone a skill that you love. I took classical guitar lessons with an extra credit (so it was free!). ANNDD my photography business was born out of my decision to minor in arts, even thought it had nothing to do with my major.
7. Don’t be on future-spouse alert. If this is on your mind whenever you meet someone, you will miss out on so many great relationships. Date around, get to know people and have fun. It will broaden your horizons. Just be careful… you know that.
8. Travel! If you have the opportunity to go abroad for a semester, take the leap! It will change your life for the better. Plus, there may not be a chance like that ever again. If you can’t go for a semester, go on a short term missions or service trip, a day or weekend trip with a group of friends, a Spring Break trip to a non-party location or with a new friend to his or her hometown. Go exploring!
9. Go deeper. Start discussions about life issues, social issues, political issues, a movie you just saw, books, etc. Talk out problems and dilemmas, talk about what you are learning and how it affects you. Growth will happen – in you, in relationships in your generation. Oh, and I’m not talking about online discussions… I’m talking face to face in real life.
10. Read & Write. I know… obviously. Yes, do your reading for class, write your papers – you just have to. But read other books, too. Read classic literature that you never got a chance to read in high school. I discovered C.S. Lewis’s adult literature in college – changed my thinking. And write for yourself. Write in a journal. Start a blog. Write poems, short stories… a novel. You will want to remember your thoughts during this new journey.

Still doing college tours??? Try these tips in high school, too! You’ll be a cool kid. And call me for your senior portraits! Check out what I have to offer – Senior Shoots Package or get your application to be on my Senior Style Team for the Class of 2018!

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