10 Things I Learned Freshman Year Of College

As most of you know, I am a freelancer for DormCo. DormCo is an online retailer that sells tons of different dorms and apartment decor. Whether you’re looking for bedding, decor, or extra necessities they basically have it all. I spent my entire freshman year of college making short videos for their YouTube channel sharing product reviews and how to assemble type videos. It kept me on my toes and certainly gave me a whole new work experience.

As the school year winds down, my boss, the owner of DormCo, asked for me to come up with a few non-product related videos to film and upload to the channel that would share some of my college advice and such. We came up with the idea “10 things freshman year taught me” and I loved the way the video turned out, so much so that I decided to upload it to my own channel as well.

Not only was it so fun getting to round up some of my best moments of freshman year but it felt so good to sit back and reflect on all this year brought me. If you remember, I really wasn’t excited about college. I wasn’t dreading it by any means but I definitely wasn’t an eager beaver either as I had tons of worries about moving away from home. Looking back, there are definitely some things I would have done differently but I’m so grateful for all of the learning experiences this year brought me. So with all of that being said, welcome to the first post of my college advice series; I hope you all enjoy it!

Watch The Video

Go watch the video and subscribe to my channel here! I decided for each of these posts I’d do a video and blog post combo since not everyone who reads my posts watches my videos and vice versa.

pin this post for later!

1. You rely on your parents more than you think.

They always say you don’t appreciate what you have until it’s gone and boy does that statement hold true in regards to your parents. I cannot even begin to explain how much your parents do for you that you don’t even realize. Being exposed to the college environment made me realize how much my parents provided for my sister (I’m a twin if you didn’t know!) and me while at home. The rides, the meals, the cleaning, the groceries, the support, (even the nagging), they are truly things I took for granted.

2. Living with roommates isn’t always easy but it’s the most fun you’ll ever have.

In all honesty, I was really nervous to live with a roommate. I get asked a ton about how I met the three girls I lived with and the answer is the Kent State Class of 2023 Facebook group. Most schools have one of these and it’s a great way to meet people. Talk with a bunch of different people and then trust your gut; I lucked out and had three of the best roommates I could have ever asked for.

Because of my job, I will admit, living with roommates was not always easy but it was the most fun I’ve ever had. It can be so incredibly distracting at times but the constant livelihood and laughter that our rooms were filled with was something I wouldn’t trade for the world!

3. The freshman 15 is real.

Trust me when I say it. Like seriously, take it from me. I walked on average five miles a day first semester and went to the gym for an hour six days a week and still managed to gain weight. It will happen and when it does let it happen. I’m not saying go crazy but also remember that your body isn’t going to leave college the way it started college. And while you will probably regret the 2 a.m. Papa Johns you had with your roommates when you wake up, in the moment it makes for some of the best memories.

4. You have the chance to reinvent yourself.

Never in your life will you get the chance to reinvent yourself the way you can your freshman year of college. I know it sounds so cliche but you really can start over. At least if you’re like me and don’t know a single person from home in the entire school. Be yourself but also remember that you can be whoever you want to be here.

Understand that not everything will be the same for you as it was in high school or perhaps things will not go as you planned. These too are okay. In high school I was only friends with guys, in college I could name on one hand the number of boys I know more than three facts about. Mean girls still exist. You can tell who was Queen Bee in high school but it doesn’t matter in college. And people will be two-faced. It’s a fact of life and these things hold true far past college.

5. Doing your own laundry sucks.

Hate to say it but if you’re someone whose mom does your laundry at home tell her thank you 100x over. I actually like doing chores at school and found that I felt really good after vacuuming, doing the dishes, and folding my clean laundry but finding the time for it isn’t always easy. Just because now is the time you want to get your chores done, doesn’t mean that the rest of the floor didn’t feel the same way at the same time. Plus, your wet clothes being thrown on the ground is never a fun time.

6. You must invest in a good pair of walking shoes.

SAY IT LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK (aka pre-college McKenzie). You must, and I mean must invest in a good pair of walking shoes. I recommend one pair of sneakers and one pair of cuter shoes. My feet were absolutely wrecked by the third week of school. I’m talking huge friction blisters covering my entire heel that took months to heel. They were so painful and were caused by me wearing the same flat (yet adorable) cheap shoes I wore all of high school.

And while I still love them, I quickly learned to reserve those shoes for the days when I only had one class in the building I could literally see from my room’s window. Off The Beaten Track shoes were my saving grace. I now have classes much closer together and fewer in-person classes but those first few weeks of the first semester I felt like I needed to amputate my feet they hurt so badly, and that’s not even me being dramatic.

7. You will cry the first time you go home.

They may be tears of joy they may not but either way, they will flow. I came home for the first time in October for my Fall Break. Connor’s dad picked me up from the airport since it’s close to his office. I flew because my parents weren’t able to come to get me as they were driving to visit Madison for homecoming weekend the next day. It was a gorgeous night out, sixty degrees, and a beautiful sunset and I couldn’t help myself from crying. There is an overwhelming sense of appreciation for the place you come from when you come home that very first time.

I still feel it, even after driving home for the rest of the semester. This sudden realization that you love where you come from. I know not everyone feels that way, but every time Corinne and I pull into town we give each other that same look and I know she feels it too.

8. It’s okay to struggle.

I think so many people go into freshman year thinking it’s going to be the best time of their life. And for many it is and for others, it’s simply not. At least not right away. It is perfectly okay to struggle. Some people are homesick, others realize their major isn’t right for them. Some people have psycho roommates, others are having trouble making friends. Everyone’s going through the adjustment a little differently. Have some empathy and understand that it takes time to adjust. You cannot expect your whole life to change and get it right on the first try.

9. You will have more and less free time than you could have ever imagined.

College life is so different than high school. There’s so much more free time available and so much less at the same time. The first few weeks it felt like I was hardly ever in class or doing anything school-related but eventually it all picks up and you’ve got projects and tests, clubs and sororities to tend to, friends to hang out with, perhaps a blog and a job to work at like me and suddenly every ounce of free time is consumed just like that.

You can play hard in college but you must work hard when it counts in order to do so. I would overwork myself all week long to make sure the only thing I was doing over the weekend was enjoying time with my girls, shooting looks for the blog, and doing other non-school related things. Learn how to manage your time or you will be going through it for the first few months.

10. Everyone goes through college differently.

Just because Karen looks like she’s having the time of her life on Instagram doesn’t mean she actually is. I know looking at people from home it’s easy to think that “so and so” was having more fun, or doing cooler things, or making more friends and if you play the comparison game it will win every time. Stop worrying about what everyone else around you is doing; remember the college experience is different for everyone.

Some people take longer to adjust, some people are homesick first semester vs second, some people take a few months to break out of their shell, some people will party every single night and get burned. No two freshman years are going to be the exact same. And that’s perfectly okay.

If you are an incoming freshman or wherever you may be in life, I encourage you to appreciate this time wholeheartedly. I have never learned more about myself and who I am than this past school year. Get comfortable with yourself. Learn to spend time with yourself. Work through the growing pains. Call home. Remember that you will never get these years back. Let me know what post you want to see next in my College Advice 101 series.

With love, McKenz

Latest Post: Styling Dresses For The Spring
Related Post: I’m Going to College…
Instagram: styledbymckenz // YouTube: McKenzie Morgan // Pinterest: mckenzmorgan