Student view: What I wish I knew my freshman year

Avery St. Lawrence is a senior majoring in public relations at Michigan State University.

When I first arrived at Michigan State University, I thought I needed a complete rebrand from high school. I believed I had to have my entire life figured out — a four-year plan, a lifelong friend group and the perfect balance of academics and social life.

Spoiler alert: I didn’t. Here’s what I wish someone had told me before my first year at MSU.

You don’t have to do everything

During my first semester, I tried to join every club, attend every football game and meet every person on my residence hall floor. Instead of feeling fulfilled, I ended up drained. I spread myself so thin that I had little energy left to give.

MSU offers endless opportunities, but you don’t have to do everything to make the most of your experience. Focus on what genuinely excites you and where you can fully invest your time and energy.

Your first friend group might not be your forever one

The people you meet during Welcome Week might not be the ones standing next to you at graduation, and that’s OK. People grow, change and move in new directions.

Do not hold on to connections that no longer feel right simply because you lived together your first year. Allow yourself to evolve. New friendships will form when they are meant to.

Grand River Avenue will teach you just as much as Wells Hall

Some of your most meaningful lessons will not come from textbooks. They will come from late-night trips to Raising Cane’s, budgeting your coffee money or learning patience at the CATA bus stop. These moments of independence — often along the busy roads of East Lansing — teach real-life skills: responsibility, resilience and growth. The lessons learned beyond the classroom can be just as valuable as those learned inside it.

Success looks different for everyone

It is easy to compare yourself when classmates are constantly posting about internships, research roles or education abroad experiences on LinkedIn. But trusting that your path does not need to look like anyone else’s is an important step. Whether you are taking extra credits, switching majors for the fifth time or simply figuring things out, you are still moving forward.

Romanticize the mundane in-between moments

Life moves quickly, and it can be tempting to rush through moments that seem unimportant — the snowy walk to class, the low hum before a final exam, the packed bus on a subzero morning. But these experiences are at the heart of the MSU journey. One day, you will look back and wish you had not wanted time to move so fast.

Final thoughts

These four years will pass faster than you expect, even if that sounds cliché. You will fail, grow and change in ways no person or article could ever fully prepare you for, but you will come out stronger than you imagined. No syllabus can prepare you for everything you will experience as a Spartan. One thing, however, is certain: You will always have a support system behind you that’s ready to shout, “Go Green,” for life.