You've just graduated high school, and you're gearing up for college. You're ready for a fresh start, but you're not sure what to expect. You're excited for new opportunities, new people and starting life on your own. There's plenty of emotions that come along with starting college, so here is a list of the top five things you're going to experience your first year, and how to survive them.
1. Anxiety
Whether you were president of your class or faded into the shadows your high school career, expect to experience some college-induced anxiety. First day jitters, mid-terms, social interaction, there are plenty of things on campus that can bring a fair load of stress with them. The important thing to know is that it’s normal, and you’re not weird for experiencing it. Here are some tips to help fight off this feeling, and help you to relax and enjoy your first year.
Take advantage of your school’s counseling centers. Many schools provide free counseling offices and appointments for students, which is the only time in your life that this will happen so take advantage. These offices can also set up accommodations for you in the case that you have a disorder that would affect your classwork.
Get involved. Although it sounds cliche, a group of friends or organization you can rely on through college is crucial. Step out of your comfort zone and push yourself to become involved in campus activities. Go to organization fairs, and put your name and email down on the ones that interest you. Making connects around campus will more than likely save you from a year of eating ramen alone in your dorm room.
It’s okay to not be okay. Don’t expect too much of yourself, pace everything and don’t load yourself down with too much.
Get enough sleep. This tip pretty much speaks for itself. Don’t deprive yourself of sleep, or you’ll really regret it. Not sleeping can make you very anxious, which will only add to your stress.
2. Stress
Putting yourself in a new environment can be scary, especially when it’s the first time you’ve conquered something on your own. Managing school, homework, your social life, and taking care of yourself on your own can be pretty overwhelming. Try some of these things to help yourself manage everything smoothly:
Work ahead. When I first started college, I was a major procrastinator. A major procrastinator. I thought I had it easy until I had two weeks left in the semester to scramble and get things done. Don’t be me. Take the time to read the syllabus the professor will give you. Do things ahead of time, like class reading. If you do all these things in advance, you’ll have more time to focus on the surprise-attack assignments your professors are going to throw at you.
Buy a planner. It sounds crazy, I know. But I couldn’t imagine college life without a planner. They have planners ranging from $1 puppy agendas to $200 decked out agendas. There’s also probably a free one on your smartphone. If I were you, I’d just go pick out the one you like at the local dollar store, they’re all the same. Put every date in your planner, whether it’s your final exam or a paragraph you’re supposed to read. That way, you can look at your planner for the day and know exactly what you need to get done for the day. Trust me. It’ll save you from the ground-breaking realization that you forgot to do something ten minutes before class.
3. Being Homesick
No matter what you say, you’re going to miss your family. Your snot-nosed brother that rats on you for everything, your sister that steals all of your belongings...You’re going to miss them more than you can imagine. While there's no way to completely soothe this feeling, there are some ways to keep it from becoming crippling.
Getting involved. Having fun is a great way to cope with missing home (see below for the pros and cons). My first year of college I stayed to myself, and I really regret it. I commuted back and forth from home, but I still missed my family something terrible. I didn’t have time for family dinner every night, or our Friday family fun nights. I was always doing homework or going to mandatory school functions. It was miserable. But, getting involved on campus actually helped that. I could study and get homework done faster with friends and classmates, there were more things I could involve my family in, and it gave me people to spend my time with instead of moping by myself.
Stay in touch with your family. I know you probably hate that your parents call six times a day, but try to enjoy it. If you forget to call home, make small reminders that will force you to call them, even if it’s every once in awhile. Hold your friends responsible for calling their family, too. I have a friend on a college hockey team, and when they competitively play hockey games on Xbox (which is every night) the losing player has to call their mom for five whole minutes. It sounds cheesy, but it’s a great way to stay in touch, and the boys’ mothers really enjoy it...I’m pretty sure the boys do, too.
4. Culture Shock
Just a couple of months ago you had to raise your hand to go potty. Now, you’re completely and totally in charge of yourself. You need to commit an urgent potty break during your 9:30 a.m. Biology class? Go. Get up, walk yourself and your screaming bladder out of that classroom and go to the bathroom. But with great power comes great responsibility, so take a look at some of these tips to get yourself ready for some serious adulting.
Know that you're the boss...Sometimes. Don’t let all this freedom go to your head, make sure you realize there are still some ground rules. If a professor or faculty member ask you to do, or not to do, something you need to respect that. If your parent asks you to do something, you respect that. This freedom can be nice, but don’t let it change you into a ramen-eating, fire-breathing college student. This is your time to shine and become an adult, so start acting like one!
Take baby steps. You have to crawl before you can run, so don’t take off like Usain Bolt your first day on campus. Take some time to learn the ropes, and get into a routine that can help you cope with all the new.
Take advantage of peer mentors. They’re here to help, and they were in your shoes not too long ago. Ask them for help, ask them for advice, ask them what teacher to take for your next math class. That’s what they’re there for.
Know that college is a very diverse place. Like really, really diverse. Fall into the group you fall into, don’t try to fit in with a crowd, let them fit to you. College is full of things you’ve never experienced before, so just sit back and enjoy the ride.
5. Having Fun
New friends, new freedom, parties, it’s all so exciting...But no matter what you’ve seen in the movies, your campus is more than likely not going to party every single night. Or maybe they will. What’s not exciting, however, is looking at your transcript after a semester of mindless partying. Here are some tips to having fun, but still saying focused.
When you mom said nothing good happens after 12:00 a.m., she was probably right...Probably. There are plenty of things fun that happen after the 12 a.m. marker, but the key is deciding which ones are worth the lost sleep or study time. When your friends ask you to stay later at a party you’ve already been at for four hours...it’s probably not worth it. But when your campus’ hockey team has a play-off game tipping off at midnight, it’s probably more than worth it. College is all about finding yourself, and becoming responsible for yourself. It’s okay to be irresponsible every now and then, but just don’t make a habit of it.
All in moderation. If you’ve stayed out two weekends in a row tearing up campus with your friends, it’s probably time to take a weekend to recuperate. Take some time to yourself, catch up on homework, class reading or start early on that term paper. There are plenty of things in your academic life that can be done at any given time, so use this extra time doing those things instead of staying up all night with your friends. Partying is fun, but that paycheck after your degree will probably be a little more satisfying.
Don’t shut yourself off. Have fun, be a college kid. Don’t barricade yourself in your room doing homework (or binge watching "Grey’s Anatomy") your entire semester. Take some time to let go, and enjoy your new life of freedom and adult responsibilities, you’ll thank yourself later.MOST IMPORTANTLY...
Just have fun, be yourself and find who you want to be. This is the time in your life for mess-ups and fall-downs, so don't be afraid to fail. Good luck in college, and may the odds be ever in your favor.
