Things I Wish I Did as a First Year Student
When starting my college experience, I did not always utilize all the opportunities that were provided to me. The clubs, events, resources, and such. It’s not that I didn’t do anything, I just didn’t do as much as I could’ve. Looking back at my first year, there are things that I wish I did. In the hopes of helping first year students wondering how to get through their first year, I’d like to share some of those.
The one thing I regret the most was not using all the resources Arcadia provided. While I did know about them, I thought I wouldn’t need them. For instance, I never went to the Learning Resource Network (LRN) for tutoring even though I was struggling in my classes. I’ve heard from many students that even just one session helped clear up any confusion they were having and I wish I could’ve done that too. Sometimes it’s hard to admit you need help, but it doesn’t make you any less of a good student. In fact, getting the help you need makes you a better student. I never went to the Writing Center either because I thought I was too good for it. I’m an English major, so why should I need help with writing? The fact is, no matter what you’re good at, you’ll always need guidance in some aspect of it. I truly believe that if I admitted I needed some help with classes, I would’ve done better in my first semester and some of my stress would have melted away.
Another thing I wish I did was go to Student Health Services more often. Not necessarily for any physical health issues, but for mental health. I think a lot of people push away their mental health because they think they are too good for therapy. The truth is, no one is too good for therapy; it is ok to get a little support every once in a while. Even if you need therapy once a week or just a couple times a year, there’s no shame in getting the help you deserve. There were points in my first year where I was really struggling and I felt too embarrassed to tell anyone. I now realize if I had just opened up to someone, even just a friend, my issues would have felt a lot more manageable in the long run. It’s healthy to talk about your feelings. If you suppress everything, how will you ever get better?
Lastly, this is such a simple thing that I regret. I wish I had put myself out there more. I found myself sitting in my room alone most of the time, even though I had friends to hang out with. Being alone can be a good thing, yes, but if you do it too much, you begin to isolate yourself. A lot of people don’t put themselves out there because they are scared of rejection, it’s a natural thing. Think to yourself: what’s the worst thing someone could say? “No?” Arcadia hosts so many different events that I never attended. I didn’t even have to ask anyone to hang out, all I had to do was show up and I didn’t do that. Some events may seem boring and unfulfilling, but I wouldn’t even know because I was too scared to go. I think if I just went to anything that seemed interesting to me, like different clubs, I would have realized that nobody would have judged me. So much of college is being scared of getting judged and what I realized now is that no one really cares. Everyone is worried about what people will think of them, that they don’t have time to judge anyone else. And even if they do, who cares? It’s your life, not anybody else’s, live it for yourself.
The biggest advice I would give to any new student who is nervous about their first year is to be unapologetically yourself. If you get judged, who cares? College is about focusing on yourself and finding who you really are. And the people who appreciate everything you have to offer. Don’t be like I was; don’t be worried about what everyone thinks of you. Instead, be like me now. Not in a literal sense, but be unafraid to show everyone that you’re here to stay. That you are you and it doesn’t matter what you do. All that matters is that you can say you’re proud of what you accomplished in your first year.
