I know this is an original topic, but after my first year at the University of Miami, I feel like I need to write this. I am writing this five days before I enter my COVID-stricken sophomore year because, at this point, I want to share the key tips I learned from my freshman year experience.
I hope you trust me, and if you know me or attend UM or any college, you can back up everything I am saying. The below tips made my freshman experience amazing, and they can easily do the same for you, even with all the implications of COVID-19. Overall, I’m hoping to help anyone who is reading this, regardless of what school you are attending or even if you are a sophomore, junior, or senior. This information truly applies to everyone, and no matter when you try them, they will tremendously help you have a fantastic time in college. Nevertheless, here are my four unbiased, legitimate, reasonable tips to thrive in your first weeks as a college freshman.
Tip 1: Network, But You will not Be Friends With Everyone
Networking! You are going to hear this word a lot from those involved with orientation or from faculty members. For student panels during orientation, all of them will say: “Get to know people and begin creating your network.” They are right: try to talk to as many people as possible. But, do it at a limit. The last thing you want is to talk to so many people, and since you cannot see all of them, you will lose contact with the ones you do not see that often.
In addition to attending orientation events, you should meet people through social media like Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook. However, make sure you make a strong effort to reach out and keep talking to people you vibe with. In my experience, I met around 50 people during orientation (which is a good number), and I continued talking to 15-20 of them afterward. Naturally, you will not stay friends with everyone, whether your perspective changes or you just happen to never see them again. Additionally, you are bound to make many more friends later on in the semester, so do not feel as if orientation is your only chance. So, network and continue talking to the people you like, and you will be good in your first few weeks.
Tip 2: Sign Up For A Ton Of Clubs And Try New Things
This is another big one that often gets overlooked. College is scary because there are many opportunities for you to pursue, and it is hard to decide what to do. While you should continue your high school passions, colleges are throwing new and super cool stuff for you to try out. Have you ever been offered to go windsurfing at your high school? Host an aquarium? Get free tickets to professional sports games? There is SO much to be involved in, and every university offers different things. Of course, also put enough attention into your schoolwork, as that is also equally important. But, while grades do matter, one of the main purposes of college is to discover yourself and develop new skills and interests.
I know, really corny. There’s no way a college makes that big of a difference, right? Well, it’s very true. In high school, I was an athletic, grade-seeking, communicative individual, and now I’m into marketing, biotechnology, and public health. I could’ve never imagined being in my position a year ago today, and most of my hometown friends were surprised to see the things that I am now interested in. Of course, I still play soccer, I hang out with people all the time and I care about school. But, I stepped out of my comfort zone, which I believe is necessary, as I learned that there is such a low risk and major reward if you strike gold on an dope topic. Especially if you’re stuck in front of a computer screen listening to a middle-aged professor babble on for an hour about the KREBS Cycle for the majority of your day, this use of your time is critical. Please try new things. Sign up for clubs that may interest you. You will probably like them. If you don’t, you will forget about them in no less than a week.
Tip 3: Get Things Straight With Your Roommate
Picture this: you have been texting and FaceTiming your roommate all summer. You bought all your room decorations, you may have met before school starts, and you feel totally ready to room with this person for at least a year.
While all this preparation is important, the real action begins the second when the parents step outside of your residential dorm. At that point, it is just you and them. As I said above, you will be overwhelmed by all the amazing opportunities provided by your school. However, everything throughout your freshman year circles back to your dorm room: the place where you stay up late studying/sleeping/hanging out. Because of this, you should always put your roommate first, and, more importantly, make sure you are on the same page about everything as early as possible.
My freshman year roomie was awesome (shoutout if you’re reading this) as we had everything set up and had clear expectations. We talked a bunch, got really close, and we celebrated our highs and got through our rocky roads together. Because of this, the majority of my freshman year progressed fluidly, as having that relationship with your roommate is crucial. My main tip is to talk with your roommate during the first week of school about what your room environment is going to look like, such as who will be let in, how late you/them will usually stay up, and so on. By going back and forth about this, you can now have some sort of anticipation about what your room will be like when you are present. Also, if you matched up with someone or met someone through social media, you are probably going to be close with them, but be sure to talk to other people outside of your roommate to avoid your relationship becoming stale and static as you will be seeing each other a lot.
Tip 4: Have A Good Relationship With Your Floor and Residential Assistant (RA)
Doubling down on residential life, get to know people on your floor as soon as possible, even if they seem like complete strangers. Throughout your first year, you will see the people on your floor a lot. In fact, it is a strong possibility that you will meet some of your best friends from your floor as you will see them more than anyone else. Furthermore, most schools match student floors with similar interests and backgrounds. While this seems impossible, it does work most of the time, as you will find a few people you like to hang out with. In my case, I loved the people on my floor, and most of them are still great friends to this day. So, take the chance, talk to them, and build those relationships.
Also, be sure to talk with your RA whenever you have questions. They have the resources and advice to help you succeed through your freshman year and beyond. They also usually want to help you, unless you set a poor first impression early in the semester. RA’s can also help you get things you want or can direct you to resources to help achieve your goals. Additionally, please do not do something stupid (you know what I mean) in front of them, as no one wants to go through the whole filing and consequence process. While these points can change from person to person, my RA was amazing, and I got to be really close to him, and once you build that connection, they will become great resources and better friends in the future.
Kyle Banker 