20 Things No One Tells You About Freshman Year At Middle Tennessee State University
College life isn’t for everyone. And maybe it isn’t for me. Life passed by so fast like a car flying on the highway. Here one second, gone the next. But my parents always encouraged me to follow my dreams so here I am, trying to explain what the freshman experience is. You can’t really describe it in words. The experience is late nights with your friends laughing until you’re crying. But it’s also lying in your bed alone wishing you could just go home. It’s a mix of emotions and it’s a roller-coaster that never ends. Although it’s a confusing mixture of trying to find where your place in the world is, it’s a building and unforgettable opportunity.Keep reading for tips that will help you have a great freshman year at Middle Tennessee State University!
1. Goodbyes beyond the threshold.
The moment your parents shut your dorm room door behind you is the time when reality hits you like a freight train. You’re finally on your own like you always wanted. Each human you have connected with for the past eighteen years of your life are now located miles away from you. It will feel as if a part of your being has been torn away but just remember that it is a bittersweet feeling. Because isn’t it great to be able to have something that makes it hard to say goodbye?
2. Life isn’t a movie but it can get pretty close.
Your roommate won’t always be your best friend. I’ve made and lost plenty of friends. She may not be what you hoped or expected her to be. Find your true friends who love you despite any circumstance that occurs. In movies, they portray that you will always find the perfect friend group or you will connect with someone instantly or you will get accepted into that sorority. Life does not work that way. Life is not fair. But things will work out and you will find where you belong.
3. Pick up the phone.
You’re going to miss your mother. I miss mine everyday. Call her. No, do not text her. Just call her to hear her voice. It will remind you of the sweet days when you were still at home and it will warm your heart.
4. Days of the Week
Not everyday will be your best. Monday may be an amazing and unforgettable day while Friday night could be one of your hardest. You have great ones, decent ones, and the worst of all ones. But you keep pushing. You came to college to succeed.
5. Overcrowding Population
The campus is overwhelming. When you feel as if it is drowning you out, talk to a stranger. No, don’t stare at your phone. Connect. A stranger is just a friend you haven’t met yet. If my friend would have never told that guy on the sidewalk that she liked his shirt, she would have never met the love of her life. You never know who’s passing by you.
6. Here and Now
Be present. Tell yourself that over and over again. Be present. The four years will flash by your eyes, and then you’ll regret the choices you didn’t make. I would constantly think that I was tired of college, and I just wanted to graduate, just like high school. But college really is a great experience, you just have to open your eyes and realize that all of this will be gone within a few years.
7. Clubs from A-Z
Get involved. Don’t get too much on your plate but interact with your campus. It will help you make friends and also build your confidence. No matter how cheesy that sounds.
8. Non-Crowd Pleaser
Not everyone will like you and that’s okay. You’re not here to please others.
Don’t pretend to be someone else. Great people aren’t known for following the crowd.
9. Fries Before Guys
He is not worth your tears. I’ve heard that so much it makes me sick but it’s the hard, cold truth. Cry as much as you need to but if he breaks you inside and gives you more bad memories than good ones, he is not a loss sweetheart. And while you’re at it, go ahead and buy that extra side of fries. No, it will not make you fat. No, you do not need to lose weight. So what if you hit the freshman 15? As long as you’re healthy, fast food is not the devil.
10. Feed the lies out.
Not every guy on campus is a gentleman as so he seems. Be careful. I’ve made the mistake of befriending a few too many guys and you never know what they’re capable of. You’re a diamond and are worthy of the very utmost respect.
11. The Weekend
Don’t get overly lost at parties. Keep control. And always take your own cup. When it’s morning, you may want to hit Starbucks. Any day of the week though, always arrive early around 4-5 am I say. I was on a campus tour during my first year and the line was long even in late afternoon. Don’t forget the Starbucks at the library stays open until 2 am.
12. Class Setting
Build your reputation well and make sure it maintains itself in a good manner. Meet one-on-one with your professors at least once a week. You build your future, but they help you go far places.
13. Building Others
Kindness never goes out of style. If you can’t be anything else, always be kind. We as college students get worried about being the best or most liked, that’s not what will make you be remembered ten years from now. Be the person that people say you were always there for them and you would drop anything and everything just to let them known they were appreciated.
14. Daily Frustrations
You failed a test. Or multiple tests. So what? Get back up. Prove to yourself that you will graduate from college with a degree that you know you worked for.
15. Embrace yourself!
You won’t always be the prettiest girl in the room or the skinniest or the smartest. That’s not what’s important anyways. Be you. If we were all the same, we would never connect and inspire others.
16. Don’t be a follower.
Remember who you are. Remember the person your parents raised you to be. Make them proud. Yes, your friends and classmates will influence you. But stop before you make any rash decisions and think twice about this would make your mother proud.
17. Choose your world.
Don’t ever settle for anything. I changed my major numerous times, but I always knew I wanted to do fashion merchandising. Here I am, proud to say that I have finally followed my decision. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. Make sure you’re able to say that you chose your life and that you didn’t settle for it.
18. Ups and Downs
Sometimes you’ll have days when you’re dolled up and feeling on top of the world. Then there’s days when you can’t even escape the bed and it feels as if you are your only refuge. Accept both days.
19. Take a Rest Day
You’re human. You can’t always be strong.
20. You’ll always be your parent’s child.
Visit your parents. Remember as your growing older, so are they.
Don’t forget to tour the town. You’ll be loaded down with homework and all the clubs offered at MTSU, but Murfreesboro is a great city. Get out and explore it. And don’t forget to visit the Donut Country, you won’t regret it.
Are you excited for your freshman year at Middle Tennessee State University? Comment below!
Featured photo source: instagram.com
