Listen to Madelines blog here. 

To my freshman year self, 

You’re 18 years old, and you feel like you’ve never been so ready for something in your life. A fresh start where no one knows your name, no older siblings to be compared to, and no people to be afraid of when you walk the halls at school. 

Finally the moment you have been waiting for your whole life comes, and you get up at 4 am, say goodbye to your dogs and take one last mental picture of the room you grew up in. 

You get in your packed-to-the-brim car and watch from the back seat as your dad heads out to the interstate. 

What I wish I knew now entering my final year as a student. 

I came into college thinking I had already known who I was. I don’t mean to be cheesy but I’ve changed in the past three years. Not as in I am a completely different person, but I think I am better now than who I used to be, and if anything I feel more myself now than I ever did. 

Here are some things I wish I knew when I was coming to school. 

1. While it may seem like everyone has already found their friends. It doesn’t mean anything. Introduce yourself to new people and find the places that make you feel good. 

One thing I remember thinking is “how come it seems like everyone has friends already?” I didn’t try to get to know anyone before coming to school, and when I got there, I saw people around in groups and panicked that I had already missed my chance to make friends.

2. You’re going to make new friends every year. 

Another thing I was convinced about was that my friends from the first semester of freshman year were going to be my life long besties. I still keep in touch with a few of them, but I kept finding new groups of people that I would find myself closer with. I think it’s okay to let yourself branch out. 

3. Join a club. 

Every tour guide or orientation leader you have ever had has also probably said this to you. But it’s said for a reason. Joining a club is honestly one of the best things you can do when you’re new anywhere. Personally, I remember going to the first club meeting of a few different ones, but I started to feel like an imposter and I stopped going. I figured I was fine with the friends I have. 

 

Joining a club is not only a great way to meet more people with similar interests as you, but it is also a great way to get experience in things you love. One of my biggest regrets is not sticking to a club through my first two years of college. By the time I was starting Junior year, I really wanted to join the newspaper, but was always intimidated. But I faced my fear and stuck it out and after the first week, I was on the front page. Now I am going into my second semester as Photo Editor, and everyone who steps into that room is my friend. 

4. Get a job if you can, but don’t overexert yourself. 

As a college student some of the biggest challenges are never having enough money or time. Senior year and I am still trying to solve this problem, but I am grateful to have employers who understand that I am a student first and an employee second. 

5. Have fun. 

I used to have a tendency to take myself too seriously. College is a time to let some of that go. I feel like when I stopped putting so much pressure on myself I was able to let go of social anxiety, and other worries. College is such a small portion of my life that I don’t want to wish time away because I feel like I should be at a different stage in my life. Now that I am just enjoying myself and the stage that I am in life, I have been having a lot more fun!

Hi Everyone! My name is Madeline Bataille. I am going into my Senior Year as a Journalism and Spanish Major with a Minor in Art and Gender and Women’s Studies. This will be my second semester with Campus Rec’s marketing team and my first time as a Program Assistant. I started last semester in a hybrid position as a photographer and blog writer. Now I will be helping to oversee these teams for the upcoming year. You can find me around campus drinking coffee from 193 Coffee House. Or doubling as the Photo Editor for The Good Five Cent Cigar. Over the summer, I am studying abroad in Spain to help complete my Spanish major. But for the time I will be home, I like to spend it outside with my friends, and help my sister plan her wedding!