Luceo Magazine

Fish Tales: Surviving Freshman Year at College

Looking back, the past year seems but a moment in time, yet I have experienced the world and learned the lessons of a lifetime.

Move-in day: August 2001. For those of you who live in Texas, you understand all too well the torturous conditions under which my family and I moved countless boxes, bags, and otherwise awkward articles of property I was convinced I could not survive without up five non air conditioned flights of stairs in Collins dormitory at Baylor University in Waco.

The college endeavor is really like none other you will experience in life. All of a sudden you are thrust out into what you consider the “real world” (side note: in reality, it’s still just the show you watch on MTV), yet you still have good old mom and dad by your side (but luckily from a distance) to support the coffee and Easy Mac habits you acquire and to lend their advice, which is usually annoyingly on-target, though sometimes not solicited. It’s an amazing time of growth and discovery within a somewhat protected environment.

Though all my friends didn’t “grow” in the direction most profitable, and didn’t always “discover” the best things about college life, everyone has to choose his or her own path and, eventually, though you swear otherwise, the day does finally come when you enter what you realize really is this real world you’ve heard about. I don’t know about you, but I’m fully willing to enjoy life as it remains for the next three years and savor the rest of my waning adolescence.

As for those of you just preparing to embark on this magnificent journey, I will attempt to bestow a few words of my own advice. You may embrace or reject it, for true wisdom comes only through experience. First of all, as I mentioned before, no matter how much you convince yourself otherwise, you really don’t need all that stuff you’re trying to cram into every family car you own. If in fact you discover any missing items upon arrival, they can easily be picked up at your local Walmart (you laugh now, but it will become your second home).

One word: organizers. I would have been completely lost without hitting, again, the Walmart organizer section. The most useful models are those with wheels that fit under the bed and the stackable drawers that are perfect for housing toiletries, etc. The more organized you are, the easier life on your own will be; take it from someone who woke up many Saturday mornings wondering if there was still a floor in the room. With being away from home also comes the responsibility of caring for yourself. And no, Febreeze is not the answer to all wardrobe dilemmas. Laundry can become manageable if tackled once a week. If, in fact, you do happen to be hanging around the dorm on Friday or Saturday night (hey, it happens), this is prime washing time. Not many people will be around, and you might even be able to get some reading done during the rinse cycle!

Which brings up another issue for discussion: studying. If nothing else I say sticks longer than the African countries you memorized for that geography final last week, try to remember this one: time management is everything! Although it may seem like a good idea at the time, all-nighters are not the answer to your GPA problems. In fact, studies show that prolonged sleep deprivation causes a decreased attention span and an inability to store information in memory. So study early, hit the sack, and wake up ready to tackle the day. You might even have time to hit that local coffee shop ... but not because you have to stay up all night cramming!

Remember to take time for yourself, your friends, and things that you enjoy. Grades are important, but make sure you have a well-balanced extra-curricular life also. Join a club, Greek society, choir or band, write for the newspaper, or just hang out with friends, but make the most of your time in college. You’ll never get another chance to experience such an awesome time in your life. Good luck, and Godspeed!

Emily Brinson | May 29, 2002

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