For this issue’s edition of Thinking Outside the Bubble, I thought that I would stay inside “The Bubble” and give advice to my younger self. Thinking back to freshman year, sadly, I think it was the most challenging year for me academically and socially. Coming fresh from the COVID-19 pandemic I struggled getting back to myself socially. I rarely branched out of my small social circle and infrequently thought about my future. College felt centuries away. I did not take school as seriously as I should have. Instead, I spent hours on FaceTime with my friends and would wait until the last minute of the 11:59 pm due date to turn in assignments. I should not be anyone’s role model, but I do think that I have some tips that could help a current freshman navigate the next four years.
1) Embarrassment is a construct of falsity
Embarrassment is something that was taught to us as children. Falling off the monkey bars- that’s embarrassing. It’s a construct of falsity. There are situations in which I said something in a conversation, fell in the hallway, or had a flashback to middle school that made me feel deep embarrassment. In reality, likely no one remembers those moments. To me, embarrassment is something that holds people back. Some of the greatest artists started shamelessly promoting themselves, an act that is in theory, embarrassing. Without these “embarrassing” acts they would not have found their success. Living your life in the bounds of how those around you will perceive you is
the equivalent of living in a prison. To me living in those bounds is somewhat of a sad way to live. It’s embarrassing!
2) Extracurriculars are places for growth
I know I sound like a counselor when I say this, but it will help to take extracurriculars seriously. When I signed up to take a journalism class freshman year, I had almost no interest in journalism. To be honest, I joined The Tower because I knew it would look good on college applications. But just sticking my toe into a pool I would learn to love has brought me to incredible places. Meeting Pulitzer prize-winning journalists, interning for the Detroit Free Press, going to a conference in Washington D.C., but more importantly, it has taught me skills that will be valuable for the rest of my life. Sophomore year I joined Interact Club, another club I joined just to say I “serve my community” on my college resume. By the end of my Junior year, I had scored a part-time job at the International Rotary Club. You will never know when something bigger will come along.
3) Learn your own learning style
As everyone already knows, everyone learns differently. When I first started taking classes that required hours of reading and note-taking outside of class, I was overwhelmed. Where do I start? How am I supposed to read 40 pages a night and understand every word? The trick is to learn what works best for you. Science for me has always been a tough subject, the sheer amount of vocabulary terms freaked me out when I took Biology Sophomore year. I learned that I had to take the time every night to write out the vocabulary terms and definitions at least three times to lock it in my mind. Currently, I am taking AP European History, a class that requires you to read 40 pages of a giant textbook every 3 days. I’m a pretty slow reader, so I have learned to watch videos to fully understand the material. Learning tricks on how to understand how you learn is key to saving time and fully learning the material.
4) Drama is on the decline
As a 14 or 15 year old everything feels detrimental. Not getting invited to a party, getting into a text battle with a best friend, or even getting exiled from a friend group will all seem world-ending. I’ve been in all of those situations, I have lived through them, but most importantly, I have learned from them. Maturity comes with time. You can only mature if you have those setbacks and learning opportunities. With more time those setbacks will happen and everyone around you will, hopefully, mature. By the time the first day of senior year rolls around everyone is looking to the future, not the small arguments they had a year ago. There is not a weekly giant breakup everyone is talking about. No one remembers the tiny embarrassing moment that happened at a party. There isn’t time for that, and frankly, no one cares.
5) Be friends with your teacher
Now some may call this being a suck-up, but I don’t care. Getting extra help before or after school, asking questions in class, and building a relationship with a teacher are going to help you immensely. Teachers have at least 70 students they have to put the effort in for, grading papers, learning names, and have to get to know. It makes a teacher’s life and learning experience more enjoyable to have a friend in the classroom. Now I am not saying get into deep conversations about the meaning of life with your teacher, but maybe ask about their day or if they like teaching today’s lesson. Who knows, maybe they will help you out when you turn in an assignment a day late.
I hope that these points help any scared freshman, like I was way back in 2021, roaming the halls of Grosse Pointe South clueless.
