Things I wish I knew as a freshman

 

"Don't try hard to fit in, and certainly don't try hard to be different...
just try hard to be you."

— Zendaya

As overwhelming as it feels, you've made it through high school, and now you're ready to take on the world as a freshman in college. 

Of course, with every new beginning comes a bit of anxiety about the future, and college is no exception.

Going to college and prepping for the “real world” is not easy. Dealing with grades, studying, bills, pressure from your parents, and having to answer the big question: 

“What should I do with my life?“, means there are a lot of expectations on your plate.

College can be terrifying, especially that freshman year. As a junior at Chandigarh University, I speak from experience. I have failed and succeeded in many aspects of my college, and I’m here to help you by sharing what I’ve learned.

So here are few things that I wish I knew before college started :-

• Don't always try to be the captain of your group. Sometimes, its good to let others led the pack to know better about them.

Sometimes the best way of knowing people is not getting actively involved into various group situations. By doing so, you are allowing them to carve the true perception about themselves. It is very important as it helps in both team management and building a top-notch level of leadership quality.

• Venture the uncharted seas.

Whats wrong in trying ? The fear of not giving a try reduces your perspective towards a lot of aspects of life. Every opportunity that you get has the potential to become the staircase for your dream.

“You will enrich your life immeasurably if you approach it with a sense of wonder and discovery, 

and always challenge yourself to try new things.”

• Be open to new ideas and thoughts. Maybe you will find your next big step towards your goal from these ideas.

Its not necessary to always find what you need right where you are looking for. Ideas are like gold coins dropped in the jungle of unidirectional approach towards your treasure. If you are mindful enough to pay attention and welcome these minute thoughts, then there might a possibility that you will succeed in a more polished manner.

• “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying ‘I will try again tomorrow’.”– Mary Anne Radmacher

I know this is the point where most of you guys will feel like giving up. Things start to feel that they exists outside your realm of thoughts and understanding, but, you should also remember that the things which scare you the most are the ones which builds your life the best.

• The best way to gain self-confidence is to do what you are afraid to do.

Self-confidence is the knowledge about oneself that he or she can confidently assess whether or not they can perform the task at hand. If you are aware of the abilities of yours, then you can also create the best possible route for your journey.

• Your success does not depends upon what all you do but what should you do.

No one can become best in everything and those who do are god-gifted. Over to it, considering that your mind can store anything and everything thrown at it is a huge misconception. Imagine Sherlock Holmes trying to solve the mystery of the cosmos and Albert Einstein smoking his cigar walks down the alley of Baker's Street contemplating on the latest murder case. In the very same way, you should draw a clear line between your long term and immediate goals.

• Your health is your biggest asset. So love it 3001.

If you are not fit mentally and physically, then no matter whatsoever you do, it will be of no good. So first thing first, get a hold of your daily routine and always include some sort of physical exercise in it, other than the exercise that you do while going to college.

• Take time to plan your routine and don't feel shy to ask your seniors, how to plan the day properly ?

An effective utilization of time is the need of the hour. Time management is another point that we bad at the most. So, try to make your own time table that suites you the best and it should also be flexible enough to make amends in the 12th hour.

• Always have the curiosity of a child or else your mind will be ossified with unidimensional knowledge rather than multidimensional.

Curiosity, the desire to learn and understand new things, is a crucial trait for personal and professional growth because of a main reason it fuels creativity by prompting us to ask questions and seek out the unfamiliar, which is essential for problem-solving and innovation. Being curious allows us to embrace unfamiliar circumstances, leading to experiences of discovery and joy.

•  “I don’t fancy colors of the face; I’m always attracted to colors of the brain.”

― Michael Bassey Johnson

Such words do not need further explanation. College life is full of colors, so, its important that you keep your adrenaline in check all the time. I am not telling you to constrain your self, rather constrain your immoral & irrational acts towards your love. Always have the eye of purity and not sensuality. Have the guts to point out mistakes in a healthy manner which will harm neither of the person rather benefit each other.

• As you move outside of your comfort zone, what was once the unknown and frightening becomes your new normal.

With life, we need to upgrade and update our attitude towards dealing with new and more complex problems than ever. While comfort zone is necessary to relax your mind and body, its rather not preferred if you really want to grow your wings and touch the horizon.

• Avoid Procrastination

Start projects and homework early. Do a little every day so when the due date arrives, you aren’t facing an impossible task. Save yourself the stress of pounding out a paper in a couple of hours. The more you delay, the worse it gets and the bigger the dark circles will become.

College is expensive. With that amount of money and your future at stake, don’t take your classes lightly. Planning a night out? Make sure all your assignments are complete. Want to skip a class? Plan for it occasionally, but don’t make it a habit.

Go ahead, enjoy your time in college, but don’t forget why you are there.