College Advice with Maddie Weisz

Hello, Help A Girl Out Blog readers! My name is Maddie Weisz and I am currently entering my last semester at SDSU. When Olivia asked me to write a post for her blog, I was not exactly sure what to write about. This got me thinking back to when I first met her. We met when she was a freshman and I was a sophomore and we immediately clicked. I saw her in the chapter room and asked her what her name was, and after she learned my name we found out we had a mutual friend! She asked me to get our nails done and since then we have been close friends. After living together a year later and serving on our sorority’s exec board together, I have only grown to love her more. Her positive energy and enthusiasm for life is something that I have always admired in her. She is honest, kind, and driven unlike anyone else I know. From there, I started reflecting on how amazing these past four years have been to me and all the things I wish I could tell my freshman self. So I decided to write down my top eight things I would have told her and formed it into a blog post!

Say yes to everything you can

I argue that college is the most growth-driven period in your life. You are living on your own for the first time, you do not have many rules, and you are finally figuring out who you are. I would not be where I am today without saying yes to the little things. The side quests and random adventures are truly what shape you. By saying yes to everything you can, you are living life to the fullest. ‘Can’ is the optimal word though, if you do not have enough money, do not feel safe, or just flat out do not want to do something, listen to your gut. But challenge yourself to go outside of your comfort zone. Whatever you are thinking is the worst possible outcome, is not gonna happen. Go out with your roommates, get dinner with that guy or girl, and go to that concert!

Call your parents

I know everyone’s family situation is different, but your parents miss you more than you know. The more time that passes living far from home, the more you are going to appreciate your parents. When I first got to college, I was so excited to live by my own rules. As time went on, I missed my parents more and more and started calling them more frequently. It was this past winter break during a conversation with my mom that she slyly brought up how much she loved our phone calls and hearing about my life. For 18 years she knew and saw everything in my life, and now she does not get to hear as much. Despite the distance, she still knows all of my friend's names and remembers the littlest of details. Your parents appreciate hearing your voice more than you know, so call your parents!

Your hometown friends are just as important as your new friends

I am an out-of-state student. When I started to make new friends in college, I stopped talking to my hometown friends as much. I was so excited about living in a new place and meeting new people that they took a back burner in my mind. It is so important to keep those friendships because the ones that last, will be by your side your entire life. Just because you are in a new place, doesn’t mean that your hometown friends do not exist anymore. I own up to not reaching out to my old friends and it is still something that I am working on. Newsflash: you are not going to be living in the same place as your college friends in the future. So learning how to keep and maintain good friendships is really important, especially the ones that stretch across state lines.

Always wear comfortable shoes

There is nothing more night-ruining than wearing a painful pair of shoes. Never once in my college career has it been worth it to wear heels to any type of event. I always end up taking off my shoes and walking barefoot, but still in pain. Wear cute shoes for photos, then change into something more comfortable. If you are worried that your shoes are going to look weird in pictures, I promise that the pain outweighs the photo every time. Also, no one is looking at your shoes, so just take my advice and do not wear heels. I will say, there are a few unavoidable exceptions to this rule like recruitment or a wedding. However, if you are not sure what to wear, go with a comfortable shoe and thank me later.

Take care of your health

My first year at college, much like most freshmen, I was sick all the time. I have never really been one to go to the doctor when I am sick but that changed in college. I somehow got Covid, immediately followed by mono then strep. That was a wild two months. I was quickly put in check to go to the doctor and take things like zinc and vitamin C to help boost my immunity. Beyond sickness, college is an unpredictable time so please take care of your body. This does not mean eating a super strict diet or working out every day (I do not do that) But just try and eat at least one ‘healthy’ meal a day and move your body. We are young and lucky to have the ability to bounce back, but that will not always be the case. So, try and build some of these habits now while we can handle a spontaneous lifestyle. Last thing on this point, make sure your mental health is doing okay too. College is extremely stressful and can take a big toll on students. Make sure to give your mental health some love. That can mean anything from therapy to just taking five minutes to breathe. 

No one cares about your outfit

I cannot name one time that I have ever paid attention to anyone’s outfit. When I was younger, I thought that I needed the perfect outfit to match every occasion. It is important to present yourself well, but who you are as a person matters so much more than what you look like. It is unnecessary to buy a new outfit for every themed party or whatever is trending on social media. Don’t get me wrong, I still love shopping and getting new clothes. But in my experience, investing your money in experiences rather than getting a perfect outfit you might wear once is so much more valuable. I am a firm believer that feeling comfortable in what you wear is way more important than the outfit itself. When I make the mistake of putting on an uncomfortable outfit, I cannot stop thinking about how uneasy I feel. At the end of the day, they are just clothes, so enjoy the moment!

Talk about life with your friends

Most of the people you meet in college will be ‘surface’ friends: people that you love to run into and briefly catch up with. How you truly find your people and make college feel like a home, is by having deep and meaningful conversations. Ask your friends about their families, dreams, fears, and everything in between. These conversations are what distinguish the difference between someone you knew in college, and the friends that will be at your wedding.

Enjoy being alone

College is filled with so many people and experiences that at times, you feel like you cannot take a moment for yourself. But there also will be periods of time where you seem to spend so much time alone. Being rested and learning how to balance taking time for yourself and everything else life throws at you, is incredibly important. I would not have the energy to do everything that I wanted to do if I didn’t take time for myself. Sit into that time and take that time to yourself. By that I mean learn how you can relax by yourself. Whether that means scrolling on TikTok or taking yourself out on a date. Having that alone time and enjoying it, is a part of life that is so important.

There will never be enough words to describe all of the lessons I have learned in college. Most of these lessons, aside from academics, have been through experience. It has been so cool to reflect on all of the advice I would have given myself as a freshman. I think all in all, just be excited for the future because our lives have so many exciting things to look forward to! Huge shoutout to Olivia for letting me take over her blog post this week! This blog is something that I think is such a cool and creative outlet for her. Getting the opportunity to write an entry for all of you makes me feel so grateful!!

All my love, Maddie Weisz