Monday, September 22, 2014

15 Things I Learned My First Month of College

I've officially been at college for a month, and I can't believe that I haven't posted about college yet. But truth be told, this first month of college has been a blur. So much has happened, and it all went by so fast. It's crazy that September is almost gone already!

Anyway, I have a couple midterms this week, so I'll have to keep this blog post short and sweet. Here are some of the biggest things I've had to learn since I've been at Ohio State:



1. It's okay to go to places alone. Whether it be for lunch at the dining hall, or attending a meeting for a new organization, it's okay to go by yourself. Little did I know, no one cares if you go places by yourself. It's what a lot of people do, actually. Soon enough you'll meet people to go to organization meetings with, and even if your lunch or meal schedule doesn't coordinate with any of your friends, it's okay. There's a bunch of people who go to the dining halls alone.

2. It's important to communicate well with your roommate. I had one little incident where there was something in the room that I truly wasn't okay with (since we could get into big trouble if it was found in our room), and so I talked to my roommate about it. Thankfully she was really nice about it, and removed it from the room. So talking things through with your roommate before anything else is a great way to keep up a good roommate relationship.

3. Don't worry about what people think. It's okay to look like a bum sometimes to your early morning class. It's alright to eat that extra piece of pizza. And like I said before, if you want to go somewhere by yourself, it's okay! You only have four years of college, so it's important to make the most out of it and do everything that you set your mind to do.

4. Don't get behind in the reading for your classes. Ugh I've only been at school for a month and I've already gotten myself behind and procrastinated heavily on my Global Politics reading. I had to read 96 pages in one night + do my other homework, which obviously didn't lead to a very good night.

5. If you're going to decorate your dorm room, make sure you have a plan before you get to school.  I love to decorate, but didn't really spend any time over the summer planning any DIYs for my dorm room. So while my roommate had all these cute posters and stuff up, my side looked kind of bare. But thanks to my Aunt's DIY gifts she gave me and some binge Etsy shopping, my room finally (after a month) is starting to look pretty good and more home-y. It's not quite finished yet and I'm still waiting for some things in the mail, but I'll definitely show you some pictures when it's ready!

6. Keep a little food in your room. Odds are, you'll get hungry late at night at some point, and going to the dining hall just won't be an option. It's also quick and easy for when you really don't have the time to go anywhere else.

7. DO NOT wear your freshman orientation shirt to class/around campus. Please. You will get a lot of crap about it from the upperclassmen, and that's just not the kind of attention you want to get. (Just wanted to put it out there that I wasn't the one who wore it out, but I've seen some freshman wearing it get called out for it by people).

8. Use the buddy system. If you plan on going out at night, having a buddy system is important for your safety. Also, if your campus is in a city like mine, there can be some pretty sketchy people about so it's important that you try and stay in a group.

9. Don't start skipping classes. Once you start, it'll be the beginning of the end. Last week I decided to skip a lecture because I had a horrible cold and desperately needed cold medicine, which probably wasn't the smartest idea. But oh well.

10. Watch out for squirrels. On Ohio State's Oval (which is like what other college's call a "quad"), there are some pretty pesky squirrels. They're like so accustomed to being around people, that they walk extremely close to you when you walk near them. My roommate's friend from a different school had one jump out of a tree and nearly hit him, so trust me, be aware of squirrels.

11. Don't wear heels,wedges, or other uncomfortable shoes if you have to trudge all over campus. From having to wear black heels with my business suit, to stupidly wearing high wedges when I had a far walk, I'm sure my feet are not happy with me right now. I have a couple blisters that keep reopening, so unless you have to, don't wear those adorable heels anytime you have to walk real far.

12. Keep your door open. It's the easiest way to meet new people on your floor, and I wish I would have done so more during this first month.

13. Don't forget about your fruits/veggies/ways to get calcium. It's important to get your nutrients and vitamins, so make sure you still find fruit and veggies to eat in the dining hall. I haven't been eating the healthiest of things, so I need to start doing this more. Also, I've realized that I've hardly ever been drinking milk, and I usually don't get enough calcium as it is, so I'll have to start drinking milk more often in the dining halls.

14. Stay in touch with your friends and family back home, but don't overdo it. Don't be that freshman who is just constantly texting and Snapchatting their friends from home, and not making any effort to make new friends and meet new people. It's okay to talk to your friends and family from time to time, but being excessive about it is a real disservice to you because it will look like you don't want to make friends.

15. You're in college, so it's okay to have a little fun. It's okay to break out of your comfort zone, and have fun in college...just don't forget about your school work! ;)

Thanks for reading my list of things I've learned my first month of college! There'll be much more college-related stuff to come, and I'll make sure to include some pictures of my dorm room when it's finished!

And with that, I'll leave you with a lovely picture I took at an OSU game I went to:

Talk to you soon,




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