Entering college can bring a whirlwind of emotions, experiences and firsts.

No more bell schedules… no more eight-class days…no more jam-packed lunchrooms.

College is definitely a brand new experience. Whether you’re reading this and are just beginning your college journey or if you’re a senior wrapping up your final year, college can be stressful and scary – especially at the beginning of the school year.

When I graduated from high school in 2021, feelings of uncertainty and anxiety overwhelmed me. I knew I wanted to go to college, but I didn’t exactly know where I should go or what I wanted to do.

Eventually, I began my first year at Stark State College to take basic classes before I knew what the next step for me was. Being a first-generation college student, I felt there was extra pressure on my shoulders.

I was the first.

When my brother Zach, who was a year behind me in school, graduated a year later, we knew we wanted to stick together, and we were thinking about becoming Golden Flashes.

So we did.

For me, transferring to Kent as a sophomore was like entering college as a freshman again. I didn’t have many friends at the school. I didn’t know where I was going, and I had never stayed in a dorm before.

As I started my first year at Kent State, and as I became familiar with my surroundings and with the campus, everything became a little easier. Now, as I head into my junior year of college and second year at KSU, there are pieces of advice that I wish I could’ve given to myself.

As you read this, I hope that my advice can help you in any way as you start your year.

So here is what I believe all Kent State students and college students in general should know before starting their school year.

First, as cliche as this may sound, this piece of advice is very important: Try not to procrastinate in college. I’m sure you have heard it many times, but I’m guilty of doing this, and it never helps you in the end. Even though it may be hard to start that project or essay that’s due in three weeks, those three weeks will come incredibly fast.

The second thing that I believe all college students should know is that it’s completely okay to not go to parties. Yes, parties can be great and so much fun, but if you don’t feel it’s right for you, or if you feel uncomfortable, don’t feel pressured to go out and party.

At the beginning of last school year, my first year at Kent, my brother and I went to a frat party that a group of people at our friend’s dorm were going to. We went, experienced it (and boy, was it an experience) and I found out the party scene isn’t for me.

And that’s okay.

I wish I could’ve given this next piece of advice to myself sooner, but I found out last school year that the PARTA bus system isn’t completely reliable. I often needed to use the bus to get across campus, especially to Franklin Hall, and I noticed that sometimes the bus times aren’t what they’re supposed to be.

Sometimes, the bus app on your phone would be so unreliable that it would say “no buses found.” So, I would suggest not relying too heavily on the buses. And if you’re lucky enough to make it on, hold on tight. They are NASCAR drivers.

My next suggestion to students, especially to freshmen, is to not DoorDash food four times a week to your dorm. I know it will be tempting, but your bank account won’t be too happy.

Since I’m living in a dorm with my brother, we always crave burgers from Five Guys or tacos from Barrio, but we’ve learned that it’s very expensive. So, I’d suggest using
your meal plan wisely and maybe using DoorDash once a week as a reward for yourself. Speaking of on-campus food, in my opinion, one of the best places to get lunch is in the Student Center at the Metro Deli.

They have plenty of subs to choose from, and it’s always a great place to go when you don’t have time to sit and eat at the dining hall. From my experience, Eastway, the dining hall similar to the DI Hub, is not the best option for food. Even though there are a lot of food options, the quality of the food isn’t always the best.

Finally, one last thing that I feel all Kent State students should know is to take college day-by-day.

Don’t worry about the little things or stress over your grades, and value your sleep. I’m a worrier and a thinker, and I can sometimes think myself into believing things that aren’t true, or I can worry so much about something that I don’t let myself enjoy the moment.

Most of the things that worry us now—most of the tests, projects and essays that we fret about in college — won’t matter in 10 years when we’ve grown older.

So‌ while we’re in college, we should take it one step at a time, do our best, laugh at every chance we get and make the most of every moment.

Make it count, Flashes.

Aden Graves is an opinion writer.

Contact him at [email protected]