College is a big step in life. You get to leap into the world of higher education complete with late night studying, brand new friends and experiences, and memories you will treasure for the rest of your life. There is no experience equal to your first year of college, and there are plenty of lessons along the way. Here are some lessons that upperclassmen at Trevecca say they learned after their first year.
1. “Care for yourself” – Rebekah Jackson, Sophomore
College is a different environment than home is. You are now in charge of when you eat, what you eat, who you hang out with, and that list of new choices goes on and on. It is now up to you to discover your limits, and it’s easy to say yes to too many things. “You’re going to get overwhelmed and incredibly busy. Set aside time to care for yourself,” says Rebekah.
2. “Things don’t really stop changing after you begin” – Leah Kepley, Junior
College is a whirlwind of constant change. You will change class schedules every semester, which could change your lunch schedule, which could change your social group, which could change the friends that you interact with, and quickly you see how things continually bring about even more change. It is also important to know that within all that change, you will not stay the same either.
3. “I wish I knew practically everyone here would be so nice and welcoming” – Sam Elliott, Freshman
You’re probably feeling an assortment of things about starting the school year. Everyone feels that way. Even the seniors feel that way. It can be difficult managing all of those feelings, but know that your classmates, professors, mentors, and upperclassmen are here to help you feel welcomed and a part of the Trevecca family.
4. “You won’t get everything right the first time. You’ll be successful if you continue to try and work hard” – Andrew Raney, Junior
Try lots of things. You could do worse on a paper or an exam than you expect. You may try out for a play and not make the final cut. It is OK. Learn from it, and use that knowledge to help you in the future.