On Jan. 5, college freshmen from McLean’s class of 2023 presented to a group of college-bound students in the auditorium, answering questions from the audience and addressing frequent college concerns regarding housing, academics and social life.

“There are a lot of misconceptions about college life,” College and Career Specialist Mary Barnes said. “That first semester can be really hard. Hearing from students who have just lived it is good because [high school students] are so focused on just applying and getting in, not thinking about what’s next.”

Barnes asked the college freshmen basic questions about college life throughout the presentation to keep the ball rolling. One of the main topics discussed was on-campus versus off-campus living.

“I’m doing on-grounds housing because I didn’t want to worry about leasing that first month,” University of Virginia freshman Ameer Moutaouakil said. “Try to find a route as early as possible if you can, but don’t stress. The [school] will figure it out for you.”

Minimizing distress and trusting the process were central themes of the presentation. All the panelists are college freshmen who went to McLean, meaning last year they were in the same position as the class of 2024 now.

“I remember sitting in the audience watching the college panel last year, and I remember freaking out because the college search is so stressful.” Kenyon College freshman Dalia Fishman said. “I hope that I can convey that it’ll all be fine.”

The panelists also addressed many questions regarding social life, some as basic as how to make friends, a simple yet sometimes daunting task for incoming college students.

“Those first couple weeks, that’s prime making friends time. After that, everyone kind of hunkers down with those friends,” Moutaouakil said. “I would say the best ways that I found to make friends are at clubs or through your hall. I’ve made some of my best friends in my hall.”

Shifting towards academics in the latter half of the presentation, questions arose regarding time management and attendance expectations, with high school students wondering about the importance of going to classes that do not record attendance.

“I don’t recommend skipping classes because, one, it’s addicting, and, two, you’re just scraping by, saying here’s what I think about this class instead of really knowing [the material],” Moutaouakil said. “Plan your day out, when you’re going to get stuff done, and get stuff done as early as possible.”

As for the panelists, it is clear that the motivation to give back to the school and guide the next class of students in their college journey inspired them to take time out of their day and return to McLean.

“It sounded like a cool experience. They invited me, so I took them up on it,” Moutaouakil said. “Being able to learn from what others have done before you is probably the best way to learn.”