Everything you’ll learn your freshman year at JMU

Making the decision to go to JMU has been one of the greatest decisions of my life. I have loved every minute of it (except maybe for the infamous valley wind), and upcoming freshman have a lot to look forward to. During my time here I’ve learned a lot about myself (and a thing or two from that Microeconomics class…), but I have also learned a lot about people and leaving the nest. So upcoming freshman, here is what I have learned here after one year:

College is knowing you can’t steal toothpaste from the master bedroom when you run out

You don’t realize all the little necessities you take for granted that your parents have that you now have the burden on purchasing. Whether it’s toothpaste, hair product, or socks, it becomes your responsibility to take control of your own life.

Your life is about to be full of random and strange things

Ever find yourself cooking a cornish hen at 1am on a Saturday night in the name of a questionable inside joke? Yea me neither… I’ve even found myself dying my hair grey and getting a fake tattoo in the name of being a K-Pop star and meeting drag queens downtown. It’s the weird things that make the best memories, right? Get ready for plenty of them.

Don’t bother trying to share an aux chord

Let’s be honest, everyone thinks their taste in music is better than the other. It’s best not to get your music insulted, and just let someone else play the music unless someone asks you to. Unless it’s “Molly Cyrus”, then please turn it off. Which leads me to my next point.

You may or may not be able to escape “Molly Cyrus”

Unfortunately, this infamously repulsive and kind of frightening song is played at nearly every social event. I hope this is a trend that dies, because with a line like “If you don’t like what I’m saying now, I don’t give a **** Cause it won’t change the fact that my **** is in your butt”, you got to question the state of the world. I think the line “I’m a dumb nasty m**********” describes the singer of this song pretty well, and to anyone who thinks this is a quality song.

It’s the time to try new things and get out your comfort-zone!

One of the greatest parts of college and becoming an adult in general is to explore who you are and to learn about the world around you. Before college, I laughed at people who did not eat meat and I always thought the gym was a place for health-freaks. But now after going into college with an open mind, I find myself a pesco-vegetarian and have lost 20 pounds by going to the gym. But there is more to college than that, there are over 300 clubs at JMU to explore potential interests. Not just that being exposed to new people of all backgrounds will enrich you and expand your horizons on what you may not have been willing to try before. College is the time to grow and evolve with so many different opportunities, seize them!

Desperate times call for desperate measures

You will probably be sober driving for money. You might find yourself having to use toilet paper to dry your hands. You may also find yourself waiting in the laundry room for 30 minutes for someone to take their clothes out. You may even find yourself taking your laptop out at a fire drill to take a online quiz that is due at midnight when the fire alarm goes off at 11:50pm. College is about finding creative solutions to annoying problems, an important life skill to say the least.

Stay on top of it, don’t pull an “all-nighter”

If you are organized, do your work on time, and have things planned out, you will be okay. The key to keeping up with everything is to plan out your days ahead of time, but don’t forget to give yourself some free-time. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, or in this case, an overly stressed and inefficient boy.

Take time to relax and treat yo self

It is SO important to give yourself to relax and to treat yourself every once in awhile. Relaxation, even meditation, is so important for success because besides the fact that science shows that there is such a thing as over-studying, you just won’t be happy. You work better when you are happy, so make sure you to leave an hour or two a day for yourself, and to eat that slice of pizza every once in awhile.

People will change, but that doesn’t mean you have to

One thing I learned after being in college for a few months is how quickly your old friends may change. You end up drifting away from many people, and that’s natural and okay. Some people stay the same, others let all nonsense break loose. But just because you see others are changing, does not mean you have to. You should evolve, you should grow, but you are you and you shouldn’t let anyone or anything change that. Stay true to yourself in the midst of such a transition into adulthood.

Dukes are some of the best people I’ve ever met

Lastly, after being here at JMU for one year. I have learned that being a Duke is one of the proudest things one can be, and that the people here are some of the best people I’ve ever met. Coming to JMU is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, and I hope that all upcoming freshman make the same great choice as I did, and I hope they come to feel the same about JMU as I do.