5 Freshman Year Regrets to Avoid, According to a New Survey

1. Worrying Too Much About Fitting In

The most frequently cited freshman-year worry among survey respondents was the pressure to fit in, with 45% naming it their top concern. Given the sheer volume of social change that occurs at this stage of life, that anxiety is understandable. Jeffrey Jensen Arnett, a professor at Clark University and author of Emerging Adulthood: The Winding Road from the Late Teens Through the Twenties, points out that young people are simultaneously developing relationship skills and forming their core identities—a process that naturally brings “a lot of anxiety and uncertainty.”

If you don’t find your friend group within the first few weeks, that doesn’t mean you’re doing college wrong. Your social life, much like your identity, takes time to develop. “Fitting in is important to people at every age, but perhaps especially at this time when you’re making a transition to an entirely new social world,” Arnett explains. “That’s not easy! But remember that everyone else is in the same boat, looking to make new connections.”

2. Not Building Good Study Habits Early

While many freshmen fixate on their social lives, academic habits often get pushed aside—and that’s a significant regret. Nineteen percent of survey respondents said they wished they had focused more on study habits and time management during their first year. Looking back, 51% said that building strong study habits early is the advice they would most want to pass along to incoming students.

Developing those habits doesn’t mean figuring everything out alone. A third of respondents (33%) said freshmen should ask professors and advisers for help sooner rather than later. Office hours exist for exactly this reason—they’re an underused resource that can make a real difference in how quickly you adapt to college-level coursework. Whether you’re struggling with a specific subject or just trying to learn how to manage your time effectively, reaching out early is a smart move, not a sign of weakness.

3. Focusing Too Much on Choosing the “Right” Major

The pressure to select a definitive major before setting foot on campus weighs heavily on many students. According to the survey, 30% of respondents admitted they worried excessively about picking the “right” major during their freshman year. Furthermore, 14% said they wasted energy believing they needed to have their entire career path mapped out immediately.

Jeffrey Arnett, a prominent researcher on emerging adulthood, explains that this period is fundamentally about identity exploration. Yet, the educational system often demands that young people make concrete decisions about their college and major before that identity has fully taken shape. He poses a rhetorical question to underscore his point: “Who knows that at 18? I don’t know about you, but I didn’t.”

The takeaway here is not to avoid contemplating the future, but rather to grant yourself the permission to change your mind. Arnett also cautions against succumbing to widespread anxiety, particularly the “hysteria” surrounding artificial intelligence. He notes that while no one can predict AI’s exact impact on the future economy, a college degree remains a significant asset. He suggests that AI will likely handle the most mundane tasks, acting as an ever-ready assistant for information retrieval. Instead of demanding a fixed career map, he recommends exploring various possibilities and seeking mentors in fields that genuinely interest you.

4. Not Thinking Early Enough About a Career Plan

While it’s healthy to avoid fixating on a single path, ignoring career planning altogether is a misstep. The survey found that 16% of respondents wished they had taken internships and networking more seriously. Additionally, a significant 29% regretted not utilizing their college career center sooner.

This proactive approach is particularly critical in a challenging job market. Matt Berndt, head career strategist at Indeed, tells Forbes that students graduating in 2026 are entering what he describes as “the most challenging work world environment I’ve experienced in 30 years.”

Berndt strongly advises students to engage with the career center early on. Doing so can help guide academic and extracurricular decisions and provide a reality check on whether career aspirations align with actual workforce demands. He emphasizes the value of early discovery, stating, “The earlier you get a chance to do those course corrections, the more you discover who you are.”

5. Not Prioritizing Mental Health

The survey also revealed that many graduates wish they had focused more on their psychological well-being during their college years. Thirteen percent of respondents said they wished they had paid more attention to their mental health, while 38% felt they had worried too little about it. A further 22% wished they had sought help from campus counseling or mental health services earlier.

Arnett offers reassurance to students feeling overwhelmed by the transition to college life. He advises, “Take a deep breath and remember everyone else is in the same situation as you, having to [build] connections and find a place for themselves in this new social world.” He emphasizes that help is readily available, adding, “If you feel like you need help, virtually every college and university has mental health services, so seek them out.”

The broader lesson from these reflections is that there is no need to achieve perfection immediately. Demonstrating this sentiment, nearly half of the survey respondents (49%) said the best advice they could offer incoming freshmen is to simply give themselves time to adjust to the new rhythms of college life.