Year in Review: The Five Most Important Things I Learned During my Freshman Year of College

I cannot believe my freshman year has already come to a close! Not to be cliché, but it seems like just yesterday that my mom and I were moving all my stuff into my freshman dorm. Freshman year was a year of new friendships, new experiences, and new life lessons. Here are the five most important things I learned during my first year at LMU.

Did you know that the Lair is a 4 Star Green Certified Restaurant? There are so many great dining options on LMU’s campus that offer healthy and delicious food. LMU’s dining is also very accommodating to those with dietary restrictions. My go-to meal at the Lair is the vegetarian burrito bowl with brown rice, black beans, lettuce, peppers, and guacamole. I love this meal because it is both healthy and delicious! Keep in mind that the infamous “freshman 15” is very real, but it can be avoided with a healthy diet and exercise. The Burns Recreation Center is a great place to burn some calories, go to fitness classes, and take a break from homework. A combination of nutritious food and exercise is the best way to have a productive and balanced college experience.

One of the best things about LMU is the accessibility of professors at their office hours. During this time, students can reach out to their professors for guidance and help with schoolwork. During the first semester of my freshman year, my Interpersonal and Small Group Communication professor, Susie McDaniel, had individual meetings with each of the students in my class to get to know us better. This meeting with Professor McDaniel made me eager to learn the subject matter and allowed me to feel more comfortable with my transition to college. I loved Professor McDaniel’s class because she genuinely cares about her students’ success and happiness and always pushed us to do our best work. The professors at LMU want to see their students succeed; do not hesitate to reach out to them.

Upon arriving to college, a lot of freshmen feel pressured to join every activity on campus. However, I would advise students to not overload themselves and get involved with just a few clubs or organizations. Extracurricular activities are huge at LMU and are a great way to meet students of all ages. By becoming a member of LMU PRSSA’s (Public Relations Student Society of America) executive board, I have been able to meet other LMU students who are passionate about PR. Getting involved in an organization with people who all have similar goals has enriched my college experience and amplified my passion for PR as well. Since LMU is such a diverse and welcoming campus, it is easy to fit in and feel comfortable with so many different opportunities available to the student body.

I cannot emphasize this piece of advice enough! While pulling an all-nighter seemed like a great way to cram in high school, this is definitely not a good idea in college. In college, time management is key, and I promise that you will feel much better taking a test after a good night’s rest than on no sleep and a caffeine overload. Being organized and making checklists definitely helped me avoid the burden of sleep deprivation during my freshman year. Following my schedule allowed me to successfully complete all of my tasks and get enough sleep as well. This brings me to my next and most important piece of freshman year advice.

The heavy workload in college will become overbearing if you do not wisely manage your time. I highly recommend starting assignments the day they are assigned and like I stated in my fourth piece of advice, feel free to reach out to your professors if you are struggling. Trust me, you will feel great getting to bed early and relaxing the night before a test rather than cramming and stressing at the last minute. In all of my classes this year, I did much better on assignments that I started working on well in advance rather than ones that I started the night before. Also, as I stated in my second piece of advice, adhering to a checklist is a great way to organize a productive homework schedule. Preparedness is definitely imperative to a successful freshman year of college.