Freshman year has always been regarded as one of the most fun but most stressful years of our lives. Sure, we have been warned about the common freshman dangers of attending a big university, ranging from living in a freshman dorm, gaining the ever-dreaded “Freshman 15,” and sleeping through every other 8 a.m. class.
I, along with the 3,000 others, have been a freshman for about four weeks now. We had been warned that the period of adjustment from high school to college would be rough, but some of us are obviously not taking heed to these warnings. I am starting to notice a few trending patterns that we freshman are setting and, to be honest, they can only lead to serious consequences.
Everyone likes to have a good time.
That is common knowledge.
What isn’t common knowledge, however, is that there is a fine line between having a good time and getting work done.
I live in Stockard, which is widely known around campus and even the state as being the wildest dorm on campus.
It is scientifically impossible to go out every single night and still get school work done to the best of our abilities. College is about having a good time with friends, but not at the expense of the real reason we are here—to study.
For those of us that party every night, our grades will suffer if they haven’t started to already. At some point, we must find a balance between work and play, before it’s too late.
Everyone likes to eat.
Whether we are up late at night studying or just getting back from the Square, our nature tells us that it is okay to stuff our faces at two in the morning.
As amazingly tasty as that foot-long club sandwich, four-piece chicken tenders, or deep-fried pizza sticks may sound, we must draw the line at some point. What we fail to realize is that a bag of chips or a pack of cookies will always suffice for those late-night cravings.
And for those so inclined, the Turner Center has very flexible hours to meet the needs of anyone who wants to exercise and burn off that southwest burrito and chicken sandwich from last night.
If we continue to eat at this pace, that “Freshman Fifteen” we have been warned about will turn into the “Freshman Fifty”; and that’s just not acceptable.
Everyone likes to sleep.
Better yet, everyone LOVES to sleep. What many of us freshman are coming to realize is that the snooze button is God’s greatest creation.
I have hit that glorious button at least twice every single morning. A few times, I have hit it in excess of ten times - this is what is killing many of us.
For those of us foolish enough to register for 8 a.m. classes, hitting the snooze button is like breaking the Eleventh Commandment. If you’re like me, you use your phone as your alarm clock.
Turn the “snooze” slider to “off”. That will not only motivate us to wake up on time, but will allow us to get a better, more productive start to the day. It has been proven by the University that those who attend class regularly will have a higher overall GPA at the end of the semester.
It goes to show: you snooze, you lose.
We have been warned; we are being re-warned. The choices we make now directly influence our futures. Cliché, but true.
We are still ahead, and we can still do what needs to be done in order to be successful in school, in the social setting, and in life itself.Let’s try to work on getting our grades up, even if it means having to take a night or two off from going out.
Let’s try to keep our bodies healthy by not loading up on late-night meals. Let’s try to wake up and get to class. Trying is the first step, and we have the tools.
Let’s do this before it’s too late.
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