By unigoofficeHow To Enjoy Freshman Year, Shonette Reed You probably have a concrete or at least a slightly concrete idea of what you want to do when you start school. My advice would be to keep some and drop others. There are some things that more than likely will change. For example, your major may change, the friends you went to school with or met may change, your idea of a good time and your plans will change. That is okay. College is considered the four best years of your life for a reason. You are not only discovering who you are but, the world around you. Many changes come with college. For example, you may get a roommate or two, or more (depending on the school you go too), that you’re not too crazy about. That is okay. Go out on a limb and try to meet everyone on your floor for your Freshman year because you’ll be living with them too. That way, if you don’t like your roommate, you have other people to connect with. You have other rooms to invade and adventures to go on. Secondly, get involved. Be careful with your involvement, however. You do not want to get so involved that your academics take a downward plunge but, you don’t want to be so uninvolved that you miss out on the fun. I would advise you to find a balance. Third, take time for you. Be creative. Take the time to figure out your likes and dislikes. What you love to do as a hobby and what you do not. Take classes that you find interesting (if you have the time and money). Fourth, be assertive in your academics. Freshmen year is where most people have low g.p.a.’s because they were too carried away with the freedom they have. There is a lot of freedom that comes with not being under your parents roof, take advantage of it. Take advantage of it carefully because when you move out of your parents house into your own place it will be there to face you again. Last, be smart with your money. People do receive a nice chunk of financial aid back, others not so much, some not at all. It is really easy to spend money when you don’t exactly have many responsibilities. Be frugal or it will come back and bite you. I hope I’ve done the best I can to sum up college in a nut shell. If you have more questions, ask me. I don’t mind answering them. Shonette Reed is a Junor at Biola University. She is a Journalism Major.