College can be challenging, and as a freshman you may or may not know exactly what to do. Well have no fear, young college person, this list of 17 tips will help you with things to do (and not to do) as a freshman in college.
17. Don't be THAT guy/girl.
I know, you want to make new friends and be known. But don't be so annoyingly out there to the point that no one wants to be your friend, and they say "That's THAT person I was telling you about.."
16. Know where your classes are.
I can guarantee that some upperclassmen will jokingly tell you the wrong place to go, and then you'll be lost, angry, and late. So it's best to at least wander around to your classrooms at least the day or two before classes start.
15. Don't stay up too late...
...Unless you don't have an early morning class, then feel free to stay up as late as you want. But if you do have an early morning class, nothing is worse than having to wake up and rush to class looking like a hot mess.
14. Don't wake up five minutes before class starts.
Again, back to number 15, give yourself time to situate yourself in the morning. Don't be the person that wakes up and rushes so quickly they forget to put on shoes, or even pants (it's probably happened before).
13. Look both ways before crossing the street.
Most of the people driving on your campus are probably other students, or random people that live near the school. If they're the former, they're probably too busy texting or jamming out to Katy Perry to look for you.
12. Don't believe every rumor you hear others say.
Most campuses have several things that float around. Most commons ones are "That building is haunted." or "If you get hit by university vehicle, they'll pay your tuition." Most of the time these things aren't true, but if you want to play in traffic, go ahead, but it wasn't my idea.
11. Don't disrespect your professors.
They work obnoxious hours to make sure little degenerates like you get a great education. They stay up late grading, and stay on campus late just so you can talk to them about classwork. Most of them even have at least one Ph.D., and I can guarantee they don't have time to deal with your lack of respect.
10. Buy text books at your own risk.
Most of my classes that I've ever taken, I've never opened the book, quite simply because I never had to. On top of the fact that they are ridiculously expensive, most of them are pointless, and to sell them back you'll maybe get enough to pay for a value menu meal at Wendy's.
9. If you NEED textbooks, don't buy them.
"But Michael, you told me that I probably won't need text books.." Wow, thanks young child, but theres the word "probably" in there, which means it's not definite. Some classes will more than likely require at least one book, and if that's the case, don't buy them, it's a waste of money. There are many sites to rent them from, which is significantly cheaper. Chegg and Amazon are two great examples.
8. Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zones.
Some of the best friends I've made while at college, are people I'd never see myself with, but that's the beauty of it. College is a place where many different people go, and most of them will share some things in common with you. So talk to a lot of people, you never know, you may find your new best friend, or even your future spouse (Just don't forget about tip number 17).
7. Stop referring back to high school.
This isn't your high school (even though sometimes the maturity level may seem like it). Stop saying "Well in high school I did this.." Congratulations, no one cares. You're an adult now, and what happened then doesn't matter. Make new things to talk about, and experience new things.
6. Don't dwell on the past.
Going off of number 7, stop talking about what happened in high school. No one cares about the girl Stacy you beat up because she said "Hi." to a guy you had a crush on (or maybe they do, because that's kind of funny). But don't dwell on the past, make new memories with new people and you'll realize that you don't need to constantly think about high school anymore.
5. Make new friends, please, it's good for you.
I know that it was hard to leave high school and leave all of your friends, but trust me, most of them were only friends with you because they were forced to see you everyday for 5 days a week. It's the sad truth, but oh well. Some of them will stay in contact, but don't stress about it. You have thousands of new people to get to know and hang out with more freely and more often.
4. Study!
This may seem like common sense, but it is very necessary to state. I know that some of you "Never had to study in high school." but i promise you that this stuff is a lot harder, and requires more time and attention.
3. Don't procrastinate.
I know that it'll be hard to not procrastinate, because you'll say "Oh I have 3 weeks to write this paper, it's only 10 pages. AND it's double spaced, psh, that's easy." Yeah, it's easy, for that one class. Then you realize that your other 5 classes also have papers and tests due the same week. Now you're in trouble and pulling all-nighters to get it all done in time.
2. Let your parents know you're not dead.
I know, again, common sense, but trust me when I say this, in their minds, you're still a kid and they still want updates on how you're doing and what's going on. Texting your mom and/or dad gets psuhed aside when you're with friends, in class, doing work, writing papers, have a job, and possibly doing sports. Trust me, a weekly "I'm still doing okay!" text will make your parents' day.
1. Have fun, it's only college.
Even though hard work and studying will get your far, and that is a great way to think, it's also college and you're allowed to have fun. Hang out with friends, do stupid fun things, go to parties on the weekends, have a drink or 2 or 3 (if you're 21+). Don't be afraid to have fun, because when you graduate and have to be a REAL adult, you'll wish you would've done more in college.
