Dear Freshmen,

Let me be the millionth person to tell you howdy and welcome to Texas A&M. 

Congrats on completing your first day of college at this incredible university. Honestly the first day is the hardest. I know many of you are away from home. For some, that might be really exciting, but for others, it’s terrifying.

I’m sure you’ve already heard a ton of advice from upperclassman, but as a senior I’m going to give you some more. These are things I wish people would’ve told me my first week here.

First, find your balance. Get involved, go to class and study, hang out with friends, find a new church, get a job, schedule a workout routine, whatever. Just don’t stretch yourself too thin. It’s better to be really good at a few things than mediocre at a lot of things. Have a planner, and use the heck out of it. You’ll thank yourself for it when you’re trying to remember what tests you have coming up or when that big social is.

Second, now is the time to try new things. Join that random club, take that weird class, learn a new hobby, study abroad. Make two bucket lists — a life one and an Aggie one — and just scratch everything you can off of it. My freshman year I went skydiving for the first time. Sophomore year I got scuba certified by taking the kinesiology class through A&M. Do those things too. If something scares you, do it anyway. College is the time for learning, but learning is so much more than just going to class and doing homework.

Third, don’t think you must have your entire life figured out right now. Most of you are 18 or 19. In the grand scheme of life, that is so young. If you find a passion for something, don’t be afraid to change your major. It would be worse to miss your calling in life than to have to stay an extra semester or two. It sounds crazy now, but before you know it friends around you will start getting engaged or finding real jobs. Don’t stress if it takes you until later to get to all that — even if that later is after college.

Fourth, remember that it takes time to make new friends. You will miss your old friends. You will miss your family. It’s normal to miss them. Just don’t let it stop you from going out there and making new friends. Go to lunch with that girl you just met in class. Ask that guy from your FLO if he wants to go to the football game with you. Find someone older to mentor you. Just remember, all relationships take time to forge. 

Lastly, I know you hear this a lot from sentimental seniors like me, but it goes by so fast. You will blink and suddenly it’s almost over.  Maybe you are like me, a first generation Aggie, and before you know it, you finally understand what all the hullabaloo is about. Maybe you’re a fourth or fifth generation Aggie and you are finally here. Either way, just be yourself and live. College is a time you will never forget, especially if you go to the best university around — Texas A&M.

Good luck on your next four years.

Thanks, and Gig ‘Em.

From,

A nostalgic senior

Lindsey Gawlik is a telecommunication and media studies senior and managing editor for The Battalion.