Looking back on freshman year and comparing myself to the person that I am now makes me look back on my four years and notice how I not only survived it, but I had the best four years of my life. I am not saying that every day was sunshine and rainbows because that is far from the truth. However, if it wasn’t for the bad days, the good ones would not have been as meaningful as they were. College is full of ups and downs. You are thrown into this new life away from home and surrounded by a bunch of strangers.
That does not last long, as soon as you know it, the new place you are in becomes a second home and the strangers around you are your best friends whom you can’t remember life without. Here are a few things that I have learned during my four years that I wish I could’ve told my freshman self.
You will miss Loftus
This can be a hard one to wrap your head around, but it is the truth. Enjoy the times when you can go across the hall or down the elevator to see your friends. This is your time to meet as many people as you can. You are all put in the same position and are all experiencing the same thing so use that to form new friendships. I am still best friends and roomates with my freshman year roommate and many friends I made in Loftus are my best friends to this day. Embrace the newness, even if it means having to shower in the world’s smallest shower.
Say yes to everything
My best memories at college are the ones that happened unexpectedly. My friends and I have a “senior year rule” and we each get one to use on anything we want. If someone wants to do something and no one else wants to, we can call “senior year” and everyone has to drop what they are doing and go, no ifs, ands or buts. If you are worried about money, there are plenty of spontaneous things to do for free or on a budget. The purpose of it is to make unforgettable moments with your friends when you were least expecting it.
They aren’t lying when they say time flies
It really does feel like just yesterday I moved into my freshman year dorm and cried when my parents left me for the first time and now, I am preparing for graduation in a month. Enjoy every single second of your college experience. The walk in between classes, warm days on the Murphy Green and even the dining hall food because it doesn’t feel like real money.
Don’t take your time at Iona for granted because you won’t know what you have until it is gone. Join clubs and yes, school is important but one bad grade on a test is not the end of the world. So start today and soak it all in, it will be over before you know it.
