Advice For College Freshmen

It’s about that time of year where moms and dads either lose their child to college for the first time (or maybe second, third, fourth) or they become empty nesters. I’m the third of four kids, so me leaving for college wasn’t too big of a deal for them, but it was big for me! I was doing as much research as I could to learn about being a byu student. Honestly, Brigham Young University was never my dream school, but I’m a huge fan of saving money and, of course, good education isn’t bad either. So, BYU is where I landed!

Once I got accepted to BYU, I felt super overwhelmed by all the things I had to do and decisions I had to make. There’s byu off campus housing, or byu on campus housing. BYU housing can be tough to deal with, so the dorms would probably be best, right? I was going to need a job… should I go through byu student employment or venture out and find something on my own? Or should I just focus on school for the first semester and get a job later? What classes do I take and how do I choose from the massive byu undergraduate majors list? And where the heck even are my classes?! Why is everyone using acronyms and saying, “oh, it’s just in the WILK. I’ll meet you there at orientation”. What is the WILK?! By the way, it’s the Wilkinson Center and it’s got just about everything you need there (bookstore, food court aka CougarEat, byu advisement center, bowling, print & copy center, post office, etc).

Ok, breathe. You have a lot to do and it’s a big change, but don’t let yourself get overwhelmed. You can only control so many things. Not everything will go as planned. That’s ok. You already know life is like that, try to remember it when things switch from high school to college. You’re going to do great!

Not everyone is a fan of advice, but I remember when I was an incoming freshman, I wanted all the advice I could get. So, let me give 3 general pieces of advice for you:

Go to sporting events!

The atmosphere in the student cheering sections is really fun, and you won’t ever get the opportunity to be there again after you graduate. BYU has this cool thing called a ROC pass, you pay about $150 and you get a pass to all the sports games. It’s a really good investment, at least for your freshman year so you can experience it all!

Take a breather to explore!

I see a lot of freshmen either locking themselves in their dorms to do homework and studying all day, or not doing any of those things and essentially wasting their lives away and paying money to do it. I don’t recommend either of these things haha. Get outside and explore what’s around you! If you are in Provo, Utah, there are a ton of beautiful hikes to explore! Finding the balance between work and play is sometimes hard, but it doesn’t have to be if you plan it right. If you want, pick a hike or a time to explore once a week. If that’s too much or too little, adjust to what you’d like!

Find Friends By Being Yourself

It’s really easy to lose yourself as a freshman, and to try and be someone you aren’t. Granted, you will change and grow, but I’m talking about a different kind of change. Finding friends can be tricky, but I think it gets hard when you try to be someone you’re not to try and fit in. The best friends you will find are those you find when you are being yourself. Being genuine, kind, and real are all important to making friends that you’ll keep far after college. Relax! Everyone else is trying to make friends too, but if you’re yourself, you’ll attract people like yourself and you’ll be much happier for it!