Dear Incoming College Freshman…

To all of the girls and guys heading off to college this fall, this is for all of you. Little do you know, you are about to start the absolute BEST four years of your life…and no I’m not just exaggerating. I know you’ve heard that line a thousand and one times from your parents and high school teachers but they weren’t kidding…like seriously. However, it’s all about how you make the next four years and the attitude you have that will set the mood for your time as a college student. College is a place where you get to grow, try new things, step out of your comfort zone, meet new people and come across the most amazingly, unexpected experiences ever. The last one is my favorite because I had lots and lots of those. Actually, my whole college experience was a big unexpected gift from God that I will never be able to repay Him for. So to all of the 18-year-olds moving out (or living at home) and starting this new chapter of life: take into some consideration everything I’ll tell you because I’ve been through it ALL in college.

Dorm Essentials

If you’re going away for college, you need to get the lowdown on all the things with your dorm. It will be your home away from home – so it needs to feel comfortable, familiar and like YOU. It will be the place you come back to after those early morning classes to take a nap and wake up 4 hours later not knowing where the heck you are. It will be the place where you find yourself gradually maturing in small ways. It will be the place where you might not be too fond of your upstairs neighbors having band practice and being loud all. night. long. (for me, that’s a true story & it was not fun) It will be a place where you REALLY learn about someone and the way they are simply by how tidy and clean they may (or may not) be. But I will tell you, the dorm experience in general is in my top ten favorite memories from college and I’m SO glad I lived in one. But enough with the sappy crap and onto the underrated things that you’ll need. I was one that brought all the things my freshman year like an ironing board & iron, pots & pans, and a lot of other unnecessary things that all came back home with me unopened & still in the box. So, what you’ll actually need and end up using everyday include:

(Also, some dorms are different and more updated than others so they might already include some things on this list. Lucky for me, I stayed in one that was as old as Methuselah – so I had allll of these)

• Mini fridge
• Microwave – if not already included
• Shower caddy & shower shoes – only IF you have community bathrooms… and don’t freak out – they’re not THAT bad.
• Full length mirror
• Shoe organizer
• Baskets for organizing stuff
• Keurig or a similar coffee pod maker – for the caffeine folks.
• Makeup mirror – for the girls, make sure it’s hella good lighting.
• Power strips – key tip: use a command strip to stick them on the side of your bed.
• Fan
• Candle warmer – since real candles aren’t allowed in dorms, these are a good alternative to the aesthetic people who can’t live without lighting a candle every night, like me hehe.
• Towel wrap – for the girls; very convenient and they Velcro around the top. They’re perfect for slipping on and making a beeline back to your room from the community bathrooms after a shower. Shower caddy, shower shoes and all.
• Memory foam mattress topper *** – this one is a MUST. Check Amazon for the best prices.
• Heated blanket – some rooms are like Antarctica so this one came in handy.
• Dry shampoo – for all the girls, iykyk.

Class Essentials

Now you’ve got your dorm stuff situated, it’s time to move on to the class essentials. I know you’re probably thinking, “well all you need is paper, binders, matching pens, tab dividers, the most expensive calculators, all the books each professor will use, blah blah blah.” No no no. The following items I have listed are ones that I found myself needing either every single day, more refills of or using multiple at once.

• Refillable water bottle – a must have. stay hydrated besties!
• Backpack
• Planner
• Comfy walking shoes – you walk SO much.
• Laptop
• Spiral notebook – the ones with sections are great for separating different classes
• Snacks to keep in your backpack
• Umbrella / rain jacket – I’ve been caught in literal monsoons a few times on campus and was a drowned rat by the time I got to my next class so plan accordingly.
• Lip balm
• Lotion
• Headphones / AirPods
• Portable chargers
• Hand sanitizer

Here’s some important tips when it comes to buying books:

1. First off DON’T buy them. Always check with the professor before you buy the book because 95% of the time, you won’t even need it. The only things you’ll buy are the lab books for any science or math classes. And obviously if the professor says you need to buy it, then there’s no other choice. Considerate it a nice souvenir from college lol.
2. If you absolutely need a book, rent it from Chegg. ( http://www.chegg.com ) You’ll thank me later because this site saved me tons of money on textbooks. Make sure to hang onto the boxes they come in because when the semester is over, just send them back in that same box. Goodbye textbooks, you won’t be missed!!!

Campus Life

When it comes to your school’s campus, it’s important that you take advantage of everything it has to offer you. Your tuition includes SO MUCH and so many students don’t even make a dent in all of the things that are available to them (in a sense, they’re FREE). I ended up using all of the amenities at my school lots of times and I’m very confident I got my money’s worth.

The Rec Center: This was one of my favorite places because there was so much to do for students. My personal favorite thing to do was go to Zumba class on Tuesday and Thursday nights which consisted of almost a hundred fellow sorority girls dancing around while burning those calories. This also can be a win-win for losing weight AND relieving all of that academic stress. Even if just you go to run on the treadmill or do something to get your heart rate up, it can make a world of a difference. Who knows, you may love it and find yourself going multiple times a week if not everyday!

Infirmary: For those that don’t know, it’s an on campus urgent care basically. All my life, I’ve never been one to get sick a lot or take lots of medication. But when I came to college and had a temporary change in my environment, there was a few times I got sick and my mom legit made me go there. Even though she was 80 miles away, I still went regardless of how much I did NOT want to go. But mother always knows best and that z-pack worked like a charm. From then on, I would stop by there if was ever feeling a little under the weather. Overall it’s a great resource to have access to, and listen to ya mothers when they tell you to go there when you don’t feel good.

Dining: If there’s one realization I had while in college it’s that college kids can EAT. That’s why campuses offer tons of different dining options, along with dining plans, if you paid for them. If you have the dining plan, then take full advantage of it! Yeah, you make get tired of going to the same place everyday, but it’s the least you can do if your parents are the ones paying for it. The good thing is that the school cafeterias have a lot of options each day so there’s plenty to choose from!

College Social Life

So now I’ll give some sentimental advice and take a break from the informative and tangible stuff.

There’s the people that go to certain colleges or just college in general specially for the social scene. Then you have others who frown upon the social scene of college completely. But the best thing to do is to find the happy medium and basically have fun while getting that degree. It is absolutely possible to still have fun and be a good student while passing your classes. If you set yourself limits and know them, you can have fun while also studying and working hard. There’s people I knew who let the fun get the best of them and there’s also people I knew who let the studying consume them and never allowed themselves to have any fun. I believe everyone deserves to let loose and have some fun, but as long as it’s respectable and you’re safe. In college, safety is a #1 priority and there is no reason to allow one stupid mistake to jeopardize that forever.

This next topic I want to give y’all some advice on is something that can be hard for a lot of people. A tried and true line to remember when you come to college is don’t expect anything. After my 4 years, I learned probably in the first 2 months that coming to college thinking I would do “this and that” is laughable now that I’m looking back on it. That includes relationships. I know everyone is different and God’s plan for everyone is unique in their own, but it’s just something I came to terms with after a lot of frustration, confusion and maybe a broken heart here and there. Hey, I’m not ashamed to admit it – everyone goes through it! However, to all the girls and guys: I feel you. You’re hopeful and optimistic. You’re excited to start fresh and meet new people. You have that little hope deep down inside you that a mystery guy or girl will sit down beside you on the first day of class, lock eyes with you and the rest will be history. The chances with that happening are about 1 in a million. Or 1 in a million Nicholas Sparks fantasies. I hate to burst your bubble, but it’s just how it goes. From my experience, about 95% of single freshmen coming to college do NOT want a relationship. And that’s ok! It’s ok – really it is. So what if you’re part of that 5% – SO WHAT! After my acceptance of this really disheartening truth, I chose to just have fun, study hard and not worry. (Well I tried lol) But you can’t help to feel a little sad when it feels like your in this huge 10K race. Other people are jumping ahead of you getting into relationships while you fall back growing slower and slower. Your feet are stuck on the ground and you’re unable to move forward. But however long it is that God keeps you stuck in that spot, take advantage of it. I mean college IS about the education after all. But it won’t hurt to add a little spice to it and have fun in the process! You will never get these 4 years back, so instead of worrying about relationships and “love”, learn to love yourself and love God more and more everyday. You’re young and you have your whole life ahead of you. Just remember: your soulmate is out there. Don’t you worry. Who knows, God may send them to you when you least expect it!

You’re overwhelmed, I know. Do panic, everything will be fine. This new journey you are about to embark on is something that has given people (including me) more than we could have ever wanted and asked for. It is the perfect way to dip your toes into the adult world without slapping you right in the face with it. But overall, I hope you’re excited and ready to take this new jump. Whatever your circumstances may be right now, I hope that college has the best and most life-changing impact on you. I’m so excited for you, friends. Good luck & go (insert your school mascot) !!!

With love,

Shelby