That’s not to say that your time at Ohio University won’t be incredible. Once you learn to cherish walks through College Green when the air is crisp and the autumn leaves are falling, or the never-ending nights with your newfound best friends, you have truly made it.
But all of that greatness and appreciation for OU doesn’t come all at once. It comes in waves. It comes after you passed your first big exam, after you made a late night run to Souvlakis or raced down Morton hill with your roommate. It’s in those moments you begin to love this special town tucked away in Southeast Ohio. But it takes time. To make your transition from high school to college a little easier, here’s 6 pieces of advice to help alleviate some stress and to make your new home feel more like “hOUme.”
Wait a month to go home
The best piece of advice any freshman will receive, is that it is crucial, vital even, practically essential to wait a month to go home. Within the first month of freshman year is when many individuals experience the widest range of emotions, from being homesick, to irritated, to confused, and seemingly, the easiest solution will be to go home. However, it is important to persevere and learn how to tackle those obstacles individually, all while in a new place. This way, you will be better tied to the campus.
Additionally, a plethora of events occur at the beginning of the school year to the point it is impossible to attend them all. Use the first month to try new things, see what you like or don’t like, who you gel with and ultimately, use the first month as a foundational building block for the rest of the semester.
Don’t sweat the small stuff
A lot of change occurs as a freshman. But just as you probably reflect on and laugh about the problems you thought were end all, be all in highschool, the same applies for college.
Looking back, it seemed as if it was the biggest deal if people who lived on your floor were hanging out in someone’s room and you weren’t invited, or a couple friends you briefly met decided to go to the dining hall together. But, the truth is, everyone is just looking for people to surround themselves with, so don’t take it personally, and remember, it definitely won’t matter in the grand scheme of things. You’ll find your people, so don’t force becoming best friends with someone within the first week. Odds are, the two of you will not stay best friends.
On another note, there is so much pressure to succeed and excel in the classroom, but try not to spend all of your time studying. Truthfully, GPA doesn’t even matter that much. What matters is what extracurriculars you’re involved with, so if you got a C+ in that gen-ed class of yours, so be it.
Don’t put too much pressure on yourself
This one goes hand and hand with tip number 2. Don’t take yourself too seriously and don’t put too much pressure on yourself.
The amount of pressure from external forces to make new friends, get good grades, join a worthwhile organization, while still having fun on the weekends, is incredibly immense. So, simply, don’t succumb to it. Prioritize your mental health, and only do things you are comfortable with and things that serve your wellbeing. What’s meant to be, will be, meaning, it doesn’t hurt to sit back and relax. Of course, at times being serious and collected is necessary, but definitely not constantly.
Remember, everyone is in the same boat
This piece of advice is undoubtedly the most important, yet the one that always seems difficult to remember when a situation arises: Everyone. Is. In. The. Same. Boat.
In highschool, there was a popular crowd, and maybe, if you weren’t in that circle of people, you felt ostracized. However, in college, there is no such thing as popularity. There are only crowds of people you relate to and want to spend time with, and those you don’t. If you felt as if your kind of people weren’t anywhere to be found in highschool, they definitely are here at OU. With almost 30,000 students it’s impossible not to make friends if you try hard enough.
And it’s true, you do have to try. The worst mistake you could make is thinking everyone already has friends and isn’t looking for more. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Everyone is searching for their people, who they enjoy hanging out with, so don’t be afraid to reach out to those around you and invite them out on Court Street or even to the library to study. No one knows where they fit in yet on such a big campus, so just remember, you are not alone if you are feeling that way.
Leave your dorm as much as possible
The best way to become acclimated to campus is to explore every inch of it, soak it up and take advantage of all it has to offer. And no, that does not include sitting in your dorm room playing video games 24/7.
Especially when the weather permits, get outside. Outside of the front four on South Green is South Beach with basketball courts and volleyball nets – an ideal way to meet people while staying active. Even if you are swamped with schoolwork, take your laptop to Donkey or sit outside of Front Room at Baker Center to get some fresh air.
Most importantly, get out of your dorm on the weekends. Weekends at OU are a blast and you can’t experience them properly or fully if you’re cooped up inside. Walk up that hill and make your way to Court Street for a guaranteed fun time.
Patience is a virtue
Good things take time. Everyone knows the saying, but it’s true. It seems like every upperclassman at OU truly has it together: good grades, an organization they’re heavily involved with, a good group of friends and ultimately loves Athens. But if you were to ask them if they felt the same way on the first day they arrived on campus, odds are they would tell you no.
Why is that? Because good things take time, and they were once too a freshman who was homesick, afraid they wouldn’t make friends, cried when they got their first C+ and believed maybe this place wasn’t for them. But with patience and a good attitude, that changes. And I know first handedly it does because I was that freshman and my friends were also that freshman. I can assuredly tell you, it all works out, and if it’s any consolation, I am the happiest I have ever been in my entire life, and I hope you are too.