Co-authored by Elena Nicolaou, writing intern at Avelist
Move-in morning was clear and crisp. My parents and I piled my mounds of things into the car and drove the laughably short distance across the highways and bridges to my new home in New York City. I'd made this drive countless times before, but that morning, it seemed like the first time. We somehow fit everything into my shoebox of a room, and as we came down the stairs the sky cracked open and it started to pour. That day was four years ago, but it seems like I'm still drying off from where the rain soaked me. That's how much it feels like yesterday.
Luckily, it wasn't yesterday, and luckily, I'm no longer a freshman. I'm older and wiser and happier. These are the things I wish I could tell that girl looking towards the horizon, unsure how to proceed to get to where she wanted to be. None of these things would've spoiled the mysteries and delights the journey would hold. But they would've made the goings a bit sturdier.
1) This is just the beginning, young grasshopper. So many wonderful and difficult things are going to happen before you evolve into the effortless seniors you see gracing campus. Cherish every day, because every day you're growing into your more evolved self.
2) Establish a routine, and then break it. It's important to have some semblance of structure, since college is really about learning to manage your time. Then, once you have a solid framework to work with, you can break it and spice up your life.
3) Learn to take your life into your own hands. If you don't like the way things are going, change them. Once you pinpoint what you don't like, changing it isn't as hard as you think. Just know you can do it.
4) Your math teacher was right when she told you to take a break with your high school boyfriend. Really. You think you know everything about the human heart, but you know nothing of yourself yet. It's so crucial to know who you are in this brave new world before you commit yourself to being with another person. It's not personal, and if you miss him, you can always get back together later.
5) Don't be afraid. Introduce yourself to people, go to your famous professor's office hours, speak up at club meetings, nerd out and go to all the talks that seem interesting. After all, fortune favors the bold.
6) Say yes to things. Some of your best memories will stem from the times you didn't hit the hay early and decided to do something outside of the routine. Remember that enthusiasm and openness are just as important life skills as the ones your homework will teach you, if not more so.
7) Going to the late-night fast-food dining hall every night is delicious, but it's not going to solve your problems. Only you can do that.
8) Don't take how people's lives seem on social media to be the truth. Your Facebook news feed may be teeming with photos of your high school friends and college classmates partying it up and going on adventures that you're not having, but remember -- Facebook is a projection, not a truth. Stick with what makes you happy and don't compare yourself to something that doesn't even exist.
9) Call your parents. They miss you, and you don't have to figure all this out by yourself.
10) College goes fast. It flies. The days of good weather and people lounging on the green will go by whether or not you choose to lay out in the sun with the others. Choose to lay out in the sun. It'll make time slow down for just a moment. So remember that while it'll fly by, if you live in the moment, you can hold on to this precious period in your life just a bit longer.
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