Interview with my college freshman
He’s home for winter break after surviving his first semester at college. Packing up in August, there was so much excitement and nervousness in the air. What would his roommate be like? How would dorm living be? Did he pick the right major and the right schedule? How would rushing for a fraternity be? Would college live up to all the expectations he had? So now that we are 6 months in, I thought it would be the perfect time to have an interview with my college freshman.
The following answers are unedited and straight from Cullen. Please share, especially if you are a parent with a high school senior getting ready for this transition. It is important to note that he attends a large SEC school and that many of these answers would vary at a smaller school.
How different is it living on your own and what has been your biggest adjustment?
Being a college freshman comes with the challenges of time management and really being pushed into the role of a responsible adult. Making sure I eat well, do laundry and wake up the first time the alarm goes off are things I have never really been 100% responsible for. There was always someone checking to make sure those things were getting done. That sudden personal responsibility has been the biggest adjustment. Of course, so has all the freedom! All of a sudden you can do what you want when you want to do it and that can be easily abused.
How are college classes different than high school?
Most college classes are lecture based, so there’s 100 kids and a teacher at the front. You take notes however you want or not at all. In most classes teachers don’t take attendance, so they don’t even know if you are there. If you choose to not attend or even if your notes aren’t taken the right way, you have no way to prepare or study for the tests. The responsibility to do well is 100% on you! If your teacher assistant offers a study group, go to it. They will give you a much better idea of what to expect on a test.
You rushed a fraternity your first semester and experienced greek life. Do you recommend it and do you have tips about going through rush?
I 100% recommend Greek life. While I may be biased, rushing was one of the best decisions I ever made. I will say rushing first semester, while trying to get adjusted to college life, was tricky. Time management became an issue because pledging can be very time consuming. On the other hand, probably when I needed it most, I acquired an amazing family of guys who were my support group for everything. The stigma around “fraternity life”, is not accurate and not what I have experienced at all. If you plan on rushing your first semester my biggest advice is be yourself. If you don’t feel like you can do that, you are at the wrong fraternity house. Get to know as many guys as you can.
What did you miss the most about home?
My parents. I missed eating with them every night and hanging out with them. Having people that love you and check up on you is something you easily take for granted. I missed my clean bathroom and my comfortable bed. Living in a dorm is fun but in two rooms with 4 guys, you have very little time to yourself and our bathroom is pretty disgusting not to mention the limited hot water. I also just miss walking into a stocked pantry when I’m hungry. It’s a whole process to go to the food hall and not always convenient. Again, with 4 guys, any snacks we do have in our room don’t last long. Finally, who knew bottled water was such a luxury? Trust me… it is.
What's your best memory so far?
My best memory was homecoming with my fraternity. Having a week of hanging out with our sister sorority while building a float and doing competitions with the other fraternities was one of the most tiring but fun weeks I have ever had. One of the competitions was a dance routine compiled of 10 guys and 10 girls. The best part was the practice once a week. I met so many people that have become some of my best friends.
What is something you would do different?
I would be more careful about how much I put on my plate for the first semester. I overextended myself, and it made it more difficult to adjust because there was so much to balance. Taking fewer classes and making sure you’re comfortable doesn’t put you behind, because that’s the path that most people take. I went in guns blazing with a major that I didn’t know that much about and I didn’t question what the advisor told me to take. That leads me to part two… if you discover your major is not really for you, DO NOT be afraid to change it. The time to do it is after your first semester. You won’t be behind.
What are 3 tips you would give an incoming college freshman?
- Don’t overextend yourself. Your first semester is a lot about getting acclimated to living on your own. Take a full class load but make sure you balance your harder classes with one or two electives.
- Make sure you have a good group of people around you. You need people who understand the balance between the academic and social parts of college. Peer pressure is now 100% in your hands.
- Don’t take things too serious. This is all new territory and you will make some mistakes. You will sleep through a class. You will get a bad grade. Learn from it and move on.
This is supposed to be the best time in your life. If you don’t do Greek life find another club to join. Get to know people. Embrace your school’s pride. Ask for help. Do things out of your comfort zone. But most importantly… call your mom once a week!
To read about my experience dropping him off check out this blog:
For final exam survival package ideas check out this blog:
Love this! As a parent I got teared up when your guy said he missed family dinners and a clean home 😂 I definitely love my family dinners. And I hope that no matter where ‘home’ is it feels cozy because of those details we do to make a house a home. You are so inspiring!!! Great post.
Thank you! It’s funny the things they hold onto. Once they leave home, all that appreciation you thought you didn’t get comes back. It will be fun to see what traditions will carry through to their families. Thanks for reading and for the support!