I cannot believe it’s been 6 years since I made the long drive to Searcy, Arkansas in my Toyota Sienna (yes I was driving a minivan), with Pearson in tow, following my parents all the way, to start my Freshman year at Harding. A lot has happened in those 6 years, but I still remember what it was like. And in the spirit of the school year starting, I’d like to share some advice based on my experience, even though I know my readership will probably not benefit from this for the most part. Oh well…

First of all, study. That’s what you’re there for. That’s what you’re paying for. Learn how to study and learn how to learn. You will be learning for the rest of your life. Now is your chance to get good at it when you’re surrounded by a bunch of other people learning too and while you have teachers and TA’s to help you. Maybe they won’t help you as much as your high school teachers did, but I guarantee they will help you more than your boss will down the line.

With that being said, don’t study too much. Don’t be the person who stays in their room or the library all the time studying. Even on the weekends. Learn how to prioritize your time. If you know you have a big test coming up, study ahead of time, and still make time for your friends. You can thank me later.

Speaking of friends, take advantage of opportunities to meet new people. You may feel awkward, but guess what! Everybody else is in the same boat. Especially other Freshmen! If you’re anything like me, you would much rather stay in your dorm room with a book than go out and talk to a ton of people you’ve never met. But just do it. Trust me.

While you are out meeting new people and doing fun things, take pictures. This is something I wish I did more of. College was really the best years of my life and I do have plenty of pictures of memories, but that’s mostly because my roommate was an aspiring photographer. You be that person. If people make fun of you for having to stop and pose everyone all the time, so be it. I promise they will be glad later when you tag them on Facebook. Or at least their mom will be glad.

Remember, you don’t have to decide on a major immediately. Don’t stress. Of course, you don’t want to be there 4 years and still not know what you want to do, but that’s another thing for another post. Seriously though, enjoy your first year and get some pesky gen-ed’s out of the way. Have fun!

With that being said, once you decide on a major, give it your all. When you’re taking your major classes, pay attention and put forth your best effort. These classes will most likely be harder than your gen-ed’s and they will probably be more helpful for your future. Besides, you should be interested in them anyway, right? You chose the major because you liked it and were interested!

And lastly, don’t take the time for granted. Before you know it, you will be out in the real world. You’ll be working a real job, paying bills and paying back your student loans. Enjoy life with all your friends just down the hall and the cafeteria within walking distance. Later when you have to drive across town to see your best friend or when you realize your fridge is empty and you can’t afford to eat out again, you’ll miss your college days!

College grads, what other advice do you have? 
Thanks for reading!