25 Pieces of Advice from Freshmen Who Know What They're Talking About

My freshman year of college has gone by all too quickly, and I'm not sure how to feel about it. So instead, I asked other people how they felt! I went around to different acquaintances/friends, both from high school and at WIU, and asked them, "What's the one big lesson you'll take away from your first year of college?" I was fond of the various answers I received:

Don't screw up your dorm room walls.
Be open to the weirdness of new people.
Don't pre-game too much before the party.
Take time to chill between classes.
You don't have to be perfect yet. You're here to learn.
Patience, my friend. Try not to rip your hair out. Patience...and caffeine.
Don't be a whore, and specifically don't bring peanut butter your first week of school.
Change is OK; that's what life is about.
Open yourself up to different kinds of people. A university is the best place to find people who are like you and who you can have a great time with; allow yourself that chance.
Placement is everything. Viewing things differently can help you accomplish anything.
Put yourself out there because you'll only be disappointed if you don't.
Be cautious of who you're friends with; most people are temporary.
Always leave your door open (except at nighttime obviously).
If you're trying to talk yourself into it, it's probably not a good idea.
Homesickness is not a sign of weakness. It's a sign of how strong your love is for your family and friends. Being away from what you love really lets you appreciate it more.
It's OK to question your life sometimes.
Don't quit. Always be a bad bitch.
Do what makes you happy regardless of what someone thinks you should do. It's OK to seek advice from others, but it all comes down to your own choices.
The people you meet won't always stay in your life.
College is deep.
Believe in yourself and follow your heart no matter what.
Attitude means everything; you're not going to have any fun if you go into something sour. Also, having people to do life with is very important.
There is such a thing as too much pizza.
Be your own cheerleader.

I did this little questionnaire to get insight into many different perspectives, but the funny thing is, a lot of the same answers kept popping up. I'm also sure that the individuals who gave me responses looked through this list and agreed with several of the numbers besides their own. I know I did! That only goes to show that even when teenagers who are adapting to a new world feel alone in their struggles, they're usually not. That's comforting to me.
While I love to write and use my own words, when I asked myself this question, I decided to use someone else's quote. Henry Ford said "Whether you think you can, or think you can't—you're right." That has never resonated more in my life than it did during this freshman year.
I realized that I have way more control over myself than I originally thought. For example, I did not think I could handle being four hours away from home, and for the first two weeks of college, I didn't handle it. I had an emotional breakdown on the phone with my mother while telling her things would never get better. Flash forward a couple of months and my mindset completely changed, because I gave it permission to. I allowed myself time to settle into a foreign environment, to make friends with strangers, to try and master singing, dancing, and acting (sure as hell still haven't done that yet), and to change and grow as uniquely as Libby needed to.
I've watched so many fall into the same trap as me. We're so hard on ourselves and make up our minds too quickly because it's easier that way. It's way more difficult to think positive, to take chances, to believe in yourself, to say how you really feel, to let go of what holds you back. But if you say I can to those voices in your head that make you feel less than, then it opens up so many doors you didn't even notice you were locking yourself out of.
I can't tell you my freshman year was super or that I'm a totally new person. What I can say is that what happened happened; most of it I'm grateful for, some of it I will bonk myself on the head for and move on. However, I am in a good place now and I have an abundance of people to thank for helping me survive my freshman year. To all my fellow freshmen, be proud of yourselves <3 We did it! (I'm not trying to sound like Elle Woods at the end of Legally Blonde, but now that's all I can picture)