You never truly realize you’re in the thick of it, knee deep in something amazing, until it’s almost over. Every year of my college experience has shifted, brought novelty, change, and versions of myself I didn’t see coming. And as a girl without an older sister, I always wondered what it would feel like to have someone pull me aside and say hey, listen. So consider this me pulling you aside. Here’s what I wish someone had told me before starting my freshman year of college
Take random classes, especially your first year. Rarely do we have the privilege of knowing exactly what we want to do in life. And if you’re anything like me, a girl with a heart full of too many passions to count, I highly encourage having a range of classes in your schedule. Say yes to the pottery class, the philosophy elective, or the astronomy course that has nothing to do with your major. You’re not wasting time here at college, you’re finding yourself, and that is never a waste.
Don’t ever take Friday classes if you can avoid it. I don’t even have to explain this one. You will thank me later.
Take a finance class, and be honest with yourself about what your major can realistically open up for you post-grad. I originally started in architecture, then shifted to pre-law, and landed in advertising and public relations, a program I genuinely love. However, I still find myself wishing I had taken more finance courses along the way, or maybe even majored in it. Financial literacy is a superpower, and having that foundation opens up so many more doors than most people realize. You don’t have to become a banker. You just have to understand money, because money doesn’t care whether you understand it or not.
Take the trip. Go study abroad. Sign up for the rec center rock climbing trip even though you’ve never climbed a day in your life. Do it all, and do it without overthinking it. My favorite college memories live in those adventures, the ones that were slightly inconvenient, a little outside my comfort zone, and were absolutely worth every second.
If graduate or law school is the plan, then protect your GPA early. I say this with love and zero judgment because I am living proof: I am actively recovering from some rough architecture class grades from freshman year, and they are still following me around like a shadow. I would have saved myself a lot of stress if I had taken this seriously sooner. Freshman year feels free of consequences until it isn’t.
Pick up a hobby or a random side job. If you have the time and resources, volunteer somewhere consistently and say yes to the job that seems a little random or unexpected. Some of my favorite people and memories came from the most unlikely internships and side gigs. Those experiences shape you in ways a classroom simply can’t.
Start searching for internships freshman year, and aim to level up each summer. The internship you hold junior or senior summer is often the direct pipeline to a full-time offer. Treat it like a long-term audition, because a lot of the time, it is.
Network with your peers, and not just the people above you. This one surprised me the most. It is wild to look around and realize that the friends I made in class or at random campus events are now starting their own business, entering my field of work, and becoming people I collaborate with professionally. Your peers are your future colleagues, clients, and community. Invest in those relationships now, while the stakes are low and the connection is easy.
College flies by faster than you think, and you won’t realize how much you’ve grown until you look back at all the experiences that shaped you. You only get one freshman year, one chance to step into this new chapter of your life with curiosity instead of fear. Make it count in the ways that matter to you.