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At college, you’ll find yourself in a new routine of life. You’re in a new place, surrounded by new faces and new opportunities. When I first got to college, I was nervous, excited and eager to start experiencing the world at this new stage in life. I was ready to take every opportunity I was given to really make the most of my college experience. 

The opportunities you’ll encounter while in college are innumerable, ranging from connecting with people to strengthening your skills and work experience. Although the opportunities may seem overwhelming, you have the chance to develop many life skills, learning much about yourself and the world in the process. 

As I mentioned, it may seem a bit overwhelming to take on so many different opportunities in college; however, I am here to tell you to get out there and experience college to the fullest! Here are a few ways I have done just that in my first year at Fox:

Use Welcome Weekend as an Opportunity to Make New Friends

During the first day of Welcome Weekend, I must admit, I was an anxious mess! Being surrounded by hundreds of strangers without my family was new territory for me. Thankfully, I had my roommate with me to go through this new experience together. Keep in mind, everyone is experiencing a little bit of nerves as they are navigating this new stage of life, so you are not alone! 

My roommate and I set out with a goal: attend every event we could during Welcome Weekend and talk to at least one person we did not know! Well, that one person turned into two, then three, then soon enough we had probably met at least 20 new people that day. Now, we may not remember all of them, but we set out with a mission to meet people and we did!

Now, I’m sure you’ll hear time and time again that you may happen to meet some lifelong friends in those first few weeks of college, and I am here to attest to that! My closest friends right now are actually the very people my roommate and I decided to talk to at Welcome Weekend. I remember the moment like it was yesterday … Here we are, standing by one of the game booths, when we recognize some of the people featured on the Instagram page for the class of ’25. My roommate was the braver one of the two of us and approached the two boys, sparking a great friendship that still lives on today! 

Welcome Weekend is the perfect opportunity to put yourself out there and make some friends! 

Attend Student Activity Events

Before coming to college I was very much an introvert. I avoided social interaction as much as I could no matter how much fun others tried to convince me it would be. The week before arriving on campus I decided I needed to step out of my comfort zone and try some of the things I would have never tried before.

My parents challenged me to attend as many events as I could, so I did. To my surprise, these events happened to be a lot of fun, and another great way to meet new people!

At the ’80s dance, I went with a group of friends I had met during Welcome Weekend, and at the end of the night I left with more friends than I came with. Never underestimate the power of putting yourself out there. People want to know you and want you to feel known on campus. 

Seek Out On-Campus Jobs

When I first got to school I had a job lined up working at the Bon two nights a week. Now, this may not seem like a very glamorous job, but it served me well. It gave me the opportunity to experience a new line of work I hadn’t experienced before.

The nights were long some days, but I learned a lot about myself. I was fairly decent at chopping vegetables and chopping them quickly! What I also learned is that jobs like this strengthen your work ethic and teach you what it means to be a diligent worker. 

In the process of learning new skills in the kitchen, I also made many connections I would have never had the opportunity to make if it weren’t for this job. I made friends with the other student workers as well as the head chefs. Being in such an upbeat and welcoming environment made the nights fun! 

I worked this job for about six months until I went on to the next opportunity. I will always look back at this experience and be grateful for taking this opportunity to develop life skills and relationships in a new place.

Be on the Lookout For Internship Opportunities

You can get an internship as a freshman! Alright, so like me, maybe you had a little doubt about the likelihood of an internship in your future as a first-year college student. Well, you must overcome that apprehension and apply to the internships that most excite you! Handshake is a great tool when it comes to finding these opportunities on campus. I was on the app every day waiting for an opportunity that would help me develop my skills and build my experience within my field of study.

I am currently majoring in business administration with a concentration in marketing and a minor in journalism. When I was first on the hunt, I narrowed my search down to positions that would allow me some experience in the field of marketing, and to my surprise many opportunities were awaiting me! It did take a little convincing from my friends and a leap of faith to apply to these internships, but I’m so glad I did!

Because I decided to take this opportunity, I am sitting here today as a social media intern for Fox, and I am having the best time starting my college career off strong as I build connections and my resume. 

So, to conclude my long-winded rant, I will end with this statement of truth: The opportunities are endless; take as many as you can!