This post is full of some older sister tips and advice for welcome week.
If you’re headed off to college for welcome week and don’t know what to expect, you’re not alone.
First of all, what is welcome week?
Welcome week is the week (well, really more like few days) before classes start when freshmen are welcomed onto campus!
There are SO many activities and fun things to do. Bingo nights, raffles, fairs, floor parties, you name it. Your university’s student government, student activities council, college ministries, greek life, etc. will be going ALL. OUT. greeting and recruiting freshmen during these events.
This is your time to meet new people and build relationships with your floor!
Sound a little overwhelming? It’s okay. I’m gonna help you out with some words of wisdom on how to THRIVE during welcome week!
First, Take a deep breath.
All the -things- can feel overwhelming. You’re moving into a new place, you just said goodbye to your family, and there’s already a bazillion things to do?! Classes haven’t even started yet!
It’s gonna be okay.
you don’t have to say yes to everything.
Take a look at the print-outs and flyers posted by different organizations that list all the welcome week activities happening. Decide what you’re able to/want to attend and take some buddies with you. You don’t have to say yes to everything, just try to get out of your comfort zone a little more each day.
Challenge yourself to talk to at least one new person at each new thing you go to!
You have a whole semester ahead of you to meet new people and socialize, so don’t feel like you have to do it ALL now, but definitely take advantage of the time you have before classes start!
Don’t feel bad for however you feel about being away from home.
I had a mix of emotions my first week away from home and wondered if anyone else felt the same way. (But wasn’t close enough with anyone yet to feel comfortable asking “Hey! Are you homesick?”🤪)
I was excited. And scared. And ready. And not. And expectant. And nervous. And hopeful. And a little lonely.
I remember freshmen I talked to the first few weeks having a wiiiiiide variety of emotions when it came to being away from home.
Some were happy to be escaping their small town and nagging mom while others really missed their hometown and family.
Some had a horrible high school experience or home town drama they couldn’t wait to escape, while others had a pretty okay time in high school and missed their friends.
Some were thrilled to have an all-you-can eat buffet everyday, and others wondered how they were going to make it without home-cooked meals!
You get the picture- everyone comes from a different background, and everyone has different feelings about the transition from living at home to going to college.
Whatever emotions you’re feeling the first week- feel em’! Don’t compare it to what anyone else is feeling. 🙂
If you’re homesick, you’re not alone!!
If everyone around you is thrilled about this new adventure but the newness is wearing off for you and you start to think “I kinda miss my mom”- THAT’S OKAY!
Just because the people around you aren’t feeling the same way you do doesn’t mean your feelings are invalid.
And guess what? Plenty of people around you are feeling the same way, they just don’t talk about it.
A note on homesickness:
Do not feel any shame for missing home. Something that helped me when I felt homesick was being thankful for the blessings of the things I had at home that were worth missing!
If you miss your family, THANK GOD for giving you an awesome family! If you miss your friends, be thankful that those friendships were built! That’s something not everyone gets the privilege of feeling. How sweet is it to know people that make saying goodbye so hard!!🥹
Let go of the pressure to feel and present an “everything’s great!😄” attitude. If you’re having the time of your life- great! But if you’re not, that’s totally okay. Give yourself some time and grace to get adjusted.
I may be belaboring the point, I just pray someone reading this knows- you’re allowed to feel whatever you’re feeling and not feel bad about it!!!🫶🏼
About Parties…
As if the raffles and games and fairs and free stuff and scavenger hunts aren’t enough, there’s also a bunch of parties happening.
I remember being in a group chat during welcome week that was blowing up day ONE with texts about a frat party happening that night and thinking, “We just got here! How are people already partying?!”😅😅
Let me just be your older sister and say:
You don’t HAVE to go to a frat party.
You may be on a high from meeting all these new people and wanting to try everything, but there’s plenty of time for that. It’s okay (and strongly encouraged by yours truly) to use the first week to get settled in your dorm, adjust, and take it easy.
A couple of my roommates and I invited girls from our floor over to play card games the first night and it was so fun! Honestly, after a long day of events and continuing to unpack, that was much preferred over going to a party.
Check out What God Taught Me My First Year of College
Be kind. To everyone.
Be unconditionally kind.
This means not putting pressure on the new people you meet by expecting you’re going to automatically be besties. Finding friends takes time.
Lemme say it again for the people skimming this-
FINDING FRIENDS TAKES TIME!!!
This means not taking it personally when you get ghosted. Everybody’s meeting everybody and it’s craziness, so just be kind and let friendships happen naturally!
Because you never know if the person you’re meeting will be someone you never see again, someone you have a class with, or someone that ends up becoming a friend, just be kind to everyone! You’ll never regret being kind to people.
Ask people questions about themselves, be honest about homesickness, exchange numbers, see if you have classes with anyone on your floor, and SMILE!☺️
~
You will learn SO much about yourself this semester, so take a deep breath, give yourself time and grace, and get excited for the growth ahead of you!
Praying for y’all as you head back to school!💕
Read Next: 10 Ways to Maximize Your College Experience
This post was a lengthier one- leave a comment if you made it all the way through! AND, tell me about your welcome week experience in the comments!💬