Things I Wish I Knew Before My Freshman Year of College

Things I Wish I Knew Before My Freshman Year of College

I prepared myself as much as possible for my first semester of college at University of Mary Hardin Baylor! I spent lots of money on school supplies, TUITION, books, etc. But there are a few things I wish that I had not bought, so this article is for incoming freshman who aren't sure what they NEED those first few months.

Here is a list of what I did NOT need to bring:

• Dishes. I did not need hardly any dishes while living in the dorms (I lived in Remschel)! There were no counters and I ate almost all meals at the cafeteria or Taco Bell...
• Printer. UMHB charges your account $15 automatically for printing at the library. If you don't use that money you are not refunded and it does not roll over to the next semester. I had 17 credit hours worth of printing and didn't come close to using all $15.
• So many clothes. I was always on the go so I usually wore the same outfits due to what was most comfortable. I had about 3 dresses in my closet for church and my performances. Plus I had an AWESOME roommate who would choose outfits for me from her closet!!?Minimalizing my clothes made my laundry life so much easier!
• Notebooks for EVERY class. I used only 3 notebooks...keep in mind this is not always true of every class. It depends on your study habits and classes whether you choose to use a notebook for that particular course.
• So many beauty products. I only had time on the weekends to do myself (somewhat). Besides, most students are in the same boat as you- exhausted and using every ounce of extra time for sleep and studying.
• Over-the-door-hangers. The doors were thicker than standard doors and the hangers would not fit.
• Keurig. I know that one hurts but it is true! No time or energy...I didn't even want coffee! Depends on the person though.

Here is a list of what I wish I had brought:

• A bag to carry books instead of a backpack. This helped me feel more put together and didn't affect my posture as much (aka less back pain).
• A better planner/calendar. My planner was PACKED. If i didn't write it down, there was no way I would remember. It was helpful to visualize your semester and cross off days!
• Planned outfits. It is SO much easier to bring clothes that are sets or can easily be worn with anything.
• Water. Either a water filter or bottles of water. I have no idea why I hadn't thought to buy water...?
• Lunch bag. I would work through lunch sometimes in order to reach the required hours...sure would have been nice to pack some lunch on those days!
• Tablet/ ipad. I brought one my second semester and used it to record lectures (with the professor's permission). This helped me tremendously during finals week!
• Bible Journal. Going to church was my break! Many good speakers came to UMHB whether through revival or chapel. It would have been nice to be able to take notes occasionally.
• Art supplies... yes. I just needed something fun to do in order to give myself a breather and keep my creative juices alive. Hammocks are popular on campus (the Rec Center has some) and even hiking/ walking could have been an outlet.
• Waterproof/ practical shoes. That was stupid on my part...all I can say.
• A heavy jacket. It does get cold in Texas.

So there you go! Hope this helps some future freshmen! GO CRU!