How to survive Fargo

It was only a few years ago that I was a freshman at Central Michigan University back in 2016, an election year. Now, four years later, Americans are back awaiting the Nation’s 46th presidential election. As the years have passed, Americans have experienced a growing divide within the two-party system, an economic recession, and a failed war in the middle-east. Rights and wrongs have been committed, but what is right, and what is wrong, is still up for discussion.

And yet the question still remains, what does any of this mean to a freshman in college?

Be perspective.

Remind yourself often that, like the divide of the American people, your fellow freshmen have differing thoughts and values. It’s essential to find the common ground.

As a freshman, you are at the bottom of the totem pole for having the least amount of college experience under your belt. Being a senior in high school, you had four years of experience with which to figure out the ropes. You probably have an excellent game-plan going into your first year of college, your first year of freedom. Cheers to that. But remember you’re probably only 18, so be smart, and as you’ll learn, there are many ways to be smart in college.

To be smart is not to be naïve. 

Most of us are 25 years old and younger, none of us have figured out the world. Do not assume you have a thorough understanding of the world, instead, experience new things. Experience is knowledge and knowledge is power. Do you truly know something if you have not experienced it? 

I’m not saying to go try heroin, I’m saying to go to a party with a new friend, or study in the library.

Do not assume you have a thorough understanding of the world, instead, experience new things.

Challenge yourself. 

The irony is, the more you push through adversity, the easier it becomes. If you study once a week, you will dread that one day, every week. If you study a little bit every day, you will expect to study. 

Take a cold shower, go for a jog at 5 a.m., say hello to that stranger you walk by. Do the hard things that will eventually benefit you the most, and prove to yourself you are not only physically strong but mentally strong. We are all so young, why settle now? Why do any of us feel we, “deserve” a break? Keep the motor running and maximize each day to its full potential. College is about becoming the best version of yourself.

Balance.

How can you limit stress if you constantly expect the very best from yourself? Too much of anything can be detrimental, even too much water can kill you. 

Be realistic and be smart. Anything can be attainable but not overnight. Be patient, trust the process. 

Breathe. 

Breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. Work on perfecting the deep breath. Being able to control your breathing can help regulate stress and anxiety. Can you perform a slow, smooth, exhale? Stretch. We are all tighter than we perceive. This can lead to stress and tension within ourselves. The more loose one is, the more relaxed one becomes, leading to deeper breathes. The deeper the breath, the more oxygen the body consumes, leading to a healthy, functioning, body and mind. 

Take care of yourself.

Regularly exercise. It does not have to be much, but I would recommend at least 30 minutes a day. However, keep in mind the 80/20 rule. Being in shape is 80% diet and 20% fitness. The more in shape you are, the more control you have of yourself. Stay away from canola oil, vegetable oil, high-fructose corn syrup, maltodextrin and soy lecithin. These are all terrible for your gut-biome. Eat clean and you will feel great.

Best of luck, be open-minded, be curious, explore, discover, adventure.