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For freshmen making their college debuts, upperclassmen at Northeastern offer a few lessons on taking risks, meeting new friends and improving study habits.
Whether it’s switching brands of toothpaste, trying a new gym membership or starting school, change can feel intimidating.
And although we can’t speak on the merits of Crest compared to Colgate, for first-year students about to make their college debuts, we can offer some tips and tricks to help ease the transition.
Northeastern’s seasoned students have the answers to all the questions freshmen don’t even know to ask — because they’ve lived it.
So we asked them: “What is something you wish you had known as a freshman?”
Here’s what they said:
Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
“Everyone’s new as freshmen and everyone’s trying to get to know people. You should just try to meet as many people as you can, and then eventually you’ll start forming your own group of friends.”
— Nnanna Njobu, 25
“It’s important to understand how much you can take on at once, because I think it’s good to have an open mind to things, but you don’t have to do it all in the first year.”
— Abby Binaday, 21
“School is important, but you don’t have to make it your only focus. It’s good to have some balance, like going out with friends, carving out time for the gym, going on walks and exploring the city. It’ll keep you sane and prevent burnout.”
— Kaya Cormier, 20
“I wish I knew how fast time went. I would have taken weekends more seriously and gone out more. Just realizing that you only go to college once, and it probably is the most fun experience you’re going to have, so savor it.”
— Demi Edwards, 24
“Explore the different buildings. I feel like in my first year, I was just going to the buildings where I had classes. Try to find your good study spots early on; don’t just go to the ones that you’re familiar with.”
— Tiba Qattan, 23
“I would recommend trying new things, even if you have initial hesitations. You never know who you’ll meet, or what opportunities might come up.”
— Claudia Decker, 21
Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
“I would have liked to have known about the clubs and events [offered], because I think I really focused on the academic part, but kind of completely neglected the social part.”
— Aashi Shrimal, 24
“You should really try to find a community, whether that’s doing different clubs or meeting people through different things, because the school is pretty big, and I feel like the moment you find your friends, it makes the school feel smaller and not so scary.”
— Bianca Dimailing, 21