Freshman year is almost like puberty. We go through necessary and life-altering changes that ultimately shape us into mature people. However, before that huge first year begins, we can’t escape horror stories about all-nighters, failing courses and the forever-feared Freshman 15. But with experience, you’ll find that these horror stories are not as scary or as inevitable as they sound. The Daily Clog has listed a few misconceptions many people have about freshman year.
1. The Freshman 15 may not be what you think it is. While you may experience some unwanted weight gain — a result of stress or the unlimited pizza buffet in the dining commons — there is one mitigating factor: UC Berkeley’s hilly campus. Walking across campus with your friends may not feel like a workout, but you’re also toning your legs as you go. So maybe that slight weight gain is actually from new muscle mass. At least that’s what we tell ourselves.
2. Eating alone doesn’t really make you a loner. Although it’d be nice to have lunch with your new college buddies in front of the GBC, it becomes difficult to schedule lunch dates when everyone is running on different agendas. Although you may feel lonely at first, you’ll be glad to find some space in your schedule to have some brief “you time” during the busy day.
3. You can escape the “Berkeley Bubble.” You may feel like your life is now entirely focused on Berkeley. With your new floormates and stressful classes, it’s easy to forget your friends and life away from school. If you ever feel like you need a break from campus life, you can simply call an out-of-town friend to detoxify, or you can plan a trip to explore other parts of the Bay Area and clear your head.
4. You may never really know how to study. Coming to Cal, you probably were told that you’d have to relearn how to study in order to keep up with your college course work. It’s true that you’ll likely have to develop new study habits. However, you won’t have an overnight epiphany in which you magically learn how to do that. Rather, you’ll likely find yourself strategically and constantly adapting your study habits to fit your professors’ teaching styles.
What are some things you didn’t realize until after your freshman year? Tell us in the comments!
Image sources: Gordon mei, Instant Vantage, cdsessums, English106, and *spo0ky* under Creative Commons.
Contact Karen Kwaning at [email protected]