By Caroline Gyure

Entering college as a freshman can feel frightening and overwhelming. It’s easy to stress about managing college classes and making new friends. Yet through these challenges, you’ll find yourself growing and maturing as a person in ways you never thought possible. Though ultimately helpful, these growing pains are still painful, so here are five tips to help you thrive in your freshman year.

1. Give yourself some grace. You’ll learn so many new skills your freshman year, both in managing your personal life and your academics! You’ll easily manage these responsibilities eventually, but don’t expect yourself to get everything right every time. You might procrastinate on your homework, take a wrong turn and be late for class, or forget an assignment. Be mentally prepared for these little mishaps, but always remember that is all they are: little mishaps. Take responsibility for your mistakes, learn your lesson, and move on!
2. Schedule in downtime. Mental health is so, so important to everyone at William & Mary! One of the best ways you can keep yourself healthy is by scheduling yourself some downtime. Find a way every week to give yourself a few hours alone to decompress, even if you don’t think you need it – you always do!
3. Ask people to hang out! Asking someone to hang out is always a little nerve-racking at first but always pays off. Everyone at William & Mary is so friendly, and every other freshman is also trying to make friends. Go ahead and ask your seatmate in your COLL 100 if they want to grab lunch at Sadler! You might just meet a great friend!
4. Follow each day where it takes you. Some of my best memories at William & Mary so far have been created in moments of spontaneity. When someone asks you if you want to go grab ice cream in CW right now, say yes! Prioritize living in the moment and grabbing hold of all these little opportunities thrown your way!
5. Read all the emails you get from William & Mary. There will be quite a few emails you’ll be sent from various campus departments – which you can unsubscribe to if they don’t apply to you! But skim through every Student Happenings and department newsletter. They have so much important information in them about guest lectures, fun events, and amazing opportunities!

Caroline is a member of the Class of 2027 at William & Mary, planning to major in English and minor in Management and Organizational Leadership. She​ sings in Barksdale Treble Choir and loves reading and creative writing. When not in class, you can find her studying around campus or at home in Yorktown, VA during school breaks!