5. Go in with the right mindset

One really important piece of information that I wish I had heard coming in freshman year was to keep a good mindset. I started the year, enveloped in the belief that I was insignificant, and that I didn’t matter. I also believed that everything was going to be terrible and that my year would be filled with drama. But in reality, none of that was true. I experienced little to no drama, my year was generally great, and I did influential things. To be honest, having the wrong mindset set me back a little bit. It caused some anxiety and prevented me from doing more of the things I wanted to.

4. Don’t stay with people who drag you down

I noticed that there were a few friends I had at the beginning of the year who helped me ease into the next four years. While I still respect those people for all the help they have given me, some of them slowed me down a bit. Whether or not it was the drama, emotional setting, or personal experiences, I noticed that when I left those types of friend groups I felt better. I felt stronger, more creative, and better in my own skin. So don’t be afraid to let go of your early friends, if you feel you are being set back just a bit.

3. Don’t worry about having massive friend groups

I’m going to be honest, I didn’t get invited to much during my freshman year, but that’s alright. I realized that what I was doing was actually influential. Would I rather go to this massive party with a big friend group, or would I rather stay late writing an influential paper that goes out to thousands of people? To me, it’s a no-brainer. So if you worry about having such a big friend group, or surrounding yourself with a lot of non-close friends, then you could lose sight of some of the things which could really matter.

2. Don’t Put Yourself Down

During a large portion of my freshman year, I made a lot of mistakes. However, I learned from all of my mistakes. One thing I wish I knew, was to not put myself down for all my mistakes. I would constantly add pressure to myself, by thinking of myself as wrong or that I was useless for not being able to do a job right. But in reality, high school is the place to make mistakes. Everybody expects an incoming freshman to not know what they are doing, or where they are going. So, if you are putting yourself down for a simple mistake, then it will only cause you to be more stressed.

1. Do your homework on time

During all of my eighth-grade year, I procrastinated hard. I wouldn’t do my work until the last day possible. Then, when I got to high school, I got so incredibly behind. There were multiple days when I had 3 or 4 math assignments to do in one night, rather than 1. So staying up to date on your work is a must!

To be completely honest, freshman year is only a minor part of your entire life, but that doesn’t mean it needs to be bad. Stay on track with your grades, emotions, and friends groups and you will do just fine.