What I learned my first year at Augustana

During my first year of college, I learned many valuable things that I will hold onto for the rest of my life. I gained insights into independent living, effectively managing my time to complete school tasks and building connections through friendship experiences. By sharing about my first year at Augie, I hope you can learn more about what to expect during your first year of college. 

Independence

One thing I had to learn was how to live on my own and take care of myself. I had to factor time into my schedule to do my laundry, clean up my space and make my doctor appointments. I wasn’t used to doing some of these things, so it was stressful when I had a lot of homework and no clean clothes. 

I also learned that taking care of the people around you is important. Everyone is learning and going through the same thing. Help the person who is struggling to carry groceries up three flights of stairs! Help the person who is sick in the communal bathroom! Help the guy whose Lightning McQueen backpack breaks in the middle of the Quad (true story, this did happen). 

Whatever you do, know that you are not alone.

Course load

A tough but most essential lesson I learned in my first year was how to manage my time when I had a heavy course load. There is always something fun happening on campus. I can always find something that I want to do, but I always have to ask myself — do I have time for this activity today? 

I have always had an “academics first” mindset throughout high school, but it wasn’t until college that I realized it’s important to find a healthy balance between school and fun. Each week I set aside designated time for schoolwork and designated time to spend with my friends. On Sunday afternoons, I would do all of my homework for Mondays and Tuesdays, and on Tuesday nights, I would do all of my homework for Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. This way I wouldn’t be anxious or worried about missing out on fun weekend activities on campus. 

I also really value my sleep, so I factor in the time that I want to be done with homework. For example, I prefer to finish my homework by 10:30 every night to get a good night's sleep.

Relationships

The most important lesson I learned (and am still learning) is the type of friends I want to have. Throughout your first year, you are discovering who you are on your own, which can heavily influence who you are friends with. One thing most people learn to be true: You may not be friends forever with the people you meet the first week of college. As you start taking classes and getting involved with groups on campus, the friendships you made during the first week will not always stick. People change, grow and find out who they are as the semester progresses. 

You are going to meet so many new people and create many new friendships. It’s important to stay true to yourself and be friends with people who like you for you. It's perfectly okay if you're not best friends with your roommate. As crazy as that may sound, people often aren't close with their roommates. However, it's important to maintain a good relationship.

Throughout my first year, I feel I have grown as a person. I have had a great year, and I can’t wait to be back this fall. I want to give a shoutout to all the people who have helped and loved me throughout my first year!

I hope that my experience helps you to be better prepared for your first year at Augustana!