Starting your freshman year of college can be both exciting and daunting, especially when your parents keep telling you how college was the best four years of their lives. With such high expectations, it can get overwhelming as you count down the weeks until it’s time to pack up everything you know and move to an entirely new environment with complete strangers. Not only do you have to adjust to having a stranger for a roommate and living in sometimes dreary dorms, but you also have to be responsible for attending class, completing schoolwork, and setting yourself up for future success in a career you might know nothing about.
Although this newfound independence can sound exciting, it can become a huge stressor if you don’t figure out how to manage your time properly and hold yourself accountable for balancing schoolwork and social life in a way that works best for you.
For Marie Cacciabaudo, 18, a student who just finished her freshman year at Virginia Tech as a member of the women’s lacrosse team and a human nutrition, foods, and exercise major, time management was key to her success during her first year.
“I wish I had known the importance of time management,” Cacciabaudo said. “It was definitely an adjustment to being on your own and balancing classes, studying for exams, and social activities, but I figured out what worked for me.”
Cacciabaudo recommended using a planner to organize assignments and deadlines, prioritizing important tasks, and breaking them into smaller, more manageable parts. In terms of social time, she stressed the importance of setting aside time to relax and spend with friends to avoid burnout.
“Something that my roommates and I did to help balance our social and academic lives was setting hard cut-offs for work,” said Cacciabaudo. “We would usually pick a time that varied on different days of the week and stop our work to enjoy ourselves by hanging out or doing some sort of activity on Saturday nights. We also planned meals and other things with our friends to make sure we could see them during our busy weeks.”
Kyleigh McNulty, a student who just finished her freshman year at Scranton University as a member of the women’s tennis team and an undecided major, agreed that time management and independence were also challenges.
“I was really bad with independence and holding myself accountable my first semester,” McNulty said. “This sounds kind of weird, but keeping my room clean and getting myself ready for the day really helped me. Putting on something that made me feel ready and having a clean and organized space made me feel much more motivated to do my work and keep my mental state in a good place.”
Another concern for incoming students is making friends, especially after having a close-knit group in childhood and high school. For McNulty, making friends ended up being easier than she expected.
“It’s honestly not as bad as you think,” McNulty said. “You have to remember that every single freshman is just looking to meet people. Everyone is in the same boat and you’re not alone. One thing that really helped me is going to events for freshmen, like an ice cream social, and just getting your name out there, even if it sounds uncool.”
Cacciabaudo also stressed that comparing your college experience to what people post on social media can be harmful, especially when posts make it seem like everyone has already found their friend group in the first week of school.
“Many people have a hard first few days, weeks, or months,” Cacciabaudo said. “Everyone is going to be posting the good stuff, but it’s normal to be scared and have your experience not match up to everyone else’s.”
Schoolwork is also a major part of college, and the classes you take can have a significant impact on your overall experience. McNulty said she has been happy to be undecided because of the various disciplines she has explored and the opportunity to uncover true passions.
“Unless you are 100% sure of what you want to do in the future, you should consider being undecided because it really takes away stress,” McNulty said. “Keep an open mind with every class you take because you might find something that really interests you. Like, my roommate was premed when she started, and now she’s a business major, and she loves it.”
Cacciabaudo, who knew exactly what she wanted to do before going to college, emphasized the mechanisms and tools she has used to succeed in her major.
“I’ve continued to work hard in my classes and ask for help when I needed it,” Cacciabaudo said. “I got help through my friends, office hours, tutors, discussion boards, and review sessions. It’s also important to make appointments with academic advisors or determine which professors and classes are highly recommended for your major.”
She also recommended taking a mix of challenging and more fun classes to avoid overwhelming yourself and to focus more on classes that require extra effort and time.
As you embark on your freshman year, remember that challenges are part of the journey. Embrace them and reach out for support when needed.
“Also bring lots of blankets,” McNulty added. “You always need more blankets.”
