Welcome, incoming freshmen. Hopefully the first few days of your first semester are going along smoothly and as painlessly as possible. New starts can be tough and confusing, but the seniors are here to help. I went to various seniors around campus and captured a few pieces of advice they wish they knew as they were entering their freshman year. Here’s what they had to say: 

Katherine Ivanchenko: “Don’t overload yourself on things. It can be a slippery slope to think you need to do everything all the time all at once, but the clubs and extracurriculars and classes you are truly passionate about will gravitate to you naturally.” 

Mohamed Salah: “Take risks. Go out and have a good time and meet as many people as you can. You never know who can become a lifelong friend.” 

Ela Hoxhaj: “Don’t be afraid to open yourself up to new opportunities. The people I met in my smaller classes for BioChem and English are still some of my closest friends after all these years.” 

Zenaida Perez: “Don’t say yes to everything. Be involved in the organizations that are meaningful to you, but do not spread yourself thin. You need time to decompress and take care of yourself. Otherwise, everything you’re involved in will begin to feel like a chore or an obligation and you won’t love it anymore. In short, use your time wisely and meaningfully.” 

Cameron Deshnad: “Do your best to raise your GPA early because it will help carry you throughout the rest of your college career.” 

Elijah Williams: “Embrace being uncomfortable. You’re obviously in a new environment meeting new people and taking new classes, so there’s bound to be a period of uncertainty. Just know we all went through it and we all came out the other side and found our rhythm eventually.” 

Tara Fitzgerald: “Go to events, especially if they have free stuff! It’s okay to spend time by yourself. Whether that’s in the library or the dining hall, definitely don’t be deterred to do things you want to do even if you don’t have a partner to do them with you. Also be open to new experiences because you never know what you will connect to or the friends you will make in random situations.” 

Gianna Cocovinis: “Have the confidence to do what makes you happy. It’s easy in high school to feel restricted from being able to follow your passions or embrace a unique taste to fit in with the status quo, but college is all about trying new things. Maybe that means new fashion styles or picking up a new hobby, but it can be anything that you have always had an interest in but have never been sure enough to try. If it makes you happy, that’s all that matters. Embrace the aspects of yourself that make you different, and you’ll find yourself growing into a whole new person.” 

At the end of the day, college is what you make of it. Be your authentic self and follow your passions and you will have a successful, fulfilling college experience. To all the new freshmen, enjoy this next chapter and make it an exciting one.