What I wish I would have known as a college freshman

Many of my closest friends have headed back to school already, as will I in a few weeks. I’m going to be a sophomore this year and while I’m glad to already know where all the buildings are and which dining halls have the best food; I’ll miss the excitement of freshman year. Here are a few things though that I think would have made my first year a little smoother.

1.) Know your alcohol limits. Coming into college, I basically had zero experience with alcohol. I was super-nerdy in high school (OK, still am) and my parents were never big drinkers so there was no liquor cabinet to sneak sips from. When you go to college, you will definitely be surrounded by alcohol even if you try to avoid it. If you weren’t around beer much in high school (and even if you were!), take it slow. Mark on your hand or plastic cup how many drinks you’ve had, since it’s easy to forget when you’re socializing. Eat before drinking and have water or soda in between alcoholic drinks. Know what you’re drinking- that mystery drink could have way more alcohol that you expected, or even contain a rape drug. And yes, drinking is illegal if you’re under 21. It’s easy to forget that, but don’t. And remember that alcohol is often the cause of the dreaded Freshman 15- in many instances, I’d advise being skinny and sober.

2.) Boys aren’t always nice, but they aren’t always pigs either. I’m sure you spent plenty of time around guys in high school, but in college you’ll get to be around them 24/7...with no curfews! (Unless you go to say, Wellesley or Wheaton. Great schools, but I wouldn’t recommend it!) Don’t be shocked to find that many boys simply want to party, get drunk and sleep with you. Freshman guys often want to really live the ‘college experience’ and many upperclassmen guys will approach you, seeing you as naïve and therefore easy to influence. Know though that there are guys who want relationships, some who even feel ready to get married soon. You need to communicate what you want- a sweaty make-out session one night only or a boy to bring home with you on Thanksgiving break?

3.) Make friends with upperclassmen first. At my high school, upper and under classmen rarely spent time together, mostly because we were in different classes. In college, things are totally different. Upperclassmen aren’t scary- they’re usually more than willing to show you the ropes. They also often have cars and if you’re school is Greek, it’s good to have some connections. Plus they’ll buy you beer.

How to be creative

If you’re a writer, you might spend time analyzing Sexton or Dostoevsky or Hemingway to find new angles to your craft. Painters may study Monet or Picasso or Dali. Nothing wrong with that, but the best way to be inspired is to utilize your life experiences and passions.

The title of this article is somewhat deceptive, because there are no rules on how to be creative. This is not an instruction manual, but a starting point.

Tip #1: My favorite way to be inspired is with a camera. I like nondigital cameras because they prevent you from censoring yourself- you can’t quickly delete something because you don’t like it; you are stuck with what you’ve got. Spend a day wandering through your town and taking pictures of whatever pleases your eye- whether it is nature, people or man-made objects. After developing your photos, take a look at common elements to find your voice. If you’re not much of a visual person, I love recorders that attach to iPods. You can do the same thing- look around for interesting sounds.

The five people every artist should know

1) The Wild One

This is someone who will push you to the limit. They believe that you have amazing potential and won’t let you waste it. They’ll try to convince you to audition for Broadway or travel to India so you can write better poetry. You can’t take everything they say literally, but let them inspire you to do things outside of your comfort zone.

2) The Ideal

This is someone who encompasses everything you want to be, creatively speaking. In terms of blogging, for me this is Gala Darling- she’s great at balancing being a compassionate advice giver with being a crazy, wild fashionista. She writes about life as a whole, but never seems too broad because she has such a distinct outlook.

3) The Honest One

This is someone who is incapable of giving you B.S. If your latest poem is downright bad, they’ll let you know. Ideally this is someone who is knowledgeable about your art medium and presents any criticism in a constructive, but direct, way.

4) The Foil

This is someone who holds opposing views to your own. If you like being a minimalist fashionista (yes, fashion is art!), maybe you subscribe to a magazine that has tons of overly glamorous models. The point is to challenge why you hold your artistic views and inspire you to sometimes head in directions that go a bit against your instinct.

5) The Unconditional Friend

Your poems aren’t selling or you’ve been injured and can’t dance for a few weeks. Who’s going to be there for you with the hugs and quart of ice cream? Your closest friend, one who doesn’t value you based on your successes, but on who you are. (Cheesy, yes. But get over it.)