Dear Incoming Freshmen,

Welcome to College! The next four years of your life are said to be the best years of your life. The truth is that you don’t know that yet because anything could happen. What you make of these four years is up to you. You could just go to classes, pass, sleep, eat, and graduate. You could also be student body president, a star athlete, honors student, or whatever you wish to be. The things you do or join in college are the things that are going to make or break your college experience. So here is some pieces of advice coming from a senior to a freshmen:

1. AVOID 8AM CLASSES AT ALL COSTS!
   1. You may think you’ll be fine because in high school you went to school at 7:20, but that is not the same thing at all. It will be the biggest struggle getting up for class and you might be late almost every class.
2. If you have breaks between classes, take advantage of them..
   1. These breaks are meant to be used for studying and doing as much homework as you can get done, not in the game room where you’ll end up procrastinating.
3. DON’T PROCRASTINATE!
   1. Coming from someone who procrastinates a lot, I don’t recommend it. Procrastinating in high school might be one thing, but in college it’s a whole other level of difficulty with so many more assignments to do.
4. Actually GO TO CLASS, DON’T SKIP..
   1. You’re paying to go to the school, at least have the decency to attend class. Skipping class means missing a good ton of material, so just don’t skip. It’s not worth it, and professors do notice.
5. You’ll find out who your real friends are in college, trust me.
   1. In college, there isn’t as many fake people. People are more open to be themselves so you’re more likely to find people with common interests and better compatibility. You might lose some high school friends, but you’ll make lifetime friends.
6. The cafeteria food will get old real quick..
   1. In the beginning, you’ll be all excited about the food, but then it will just get repetitive and tasteless. If you know how to make good food, you’re better off making that.
7. FRESHMEN 15 IS A REAL THING!
   1. This isn’t a joke, it will accumulate faster than you think. Hit the gym, and watch what you eat otherwise you will end up gaining more than 15 pounds.
8. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FREE STUFF!
   1. I mean who doesn’t like free things? Whether it’s free breakfast, pizza, dog tags, T-shirts, ice cream or whatever your school gives out, take it because they don’t give out much for free.
9. Don’t buy textbooks until you’ve been to class first..
   1. I say this because sometimes the school site might have a book listed, but you might not actually use it or the professor may have changed it for the semester. The more money you can save on textbooks, the better.
10. When buying textbooks, go online whether it’s amazon, slugbooks, ebay..
    1. Don’t buy in the campus bookstore unless it’s a book especially for the class or written by a professor there. Buying online will save you a lot more money.
11. Join the clubs you’re actually interested in..
    1. Colleges have hundreds of clubs on campus to choose from so if you’re interested in one just go sign up. If your friend doesn’t want to join it with you who cares, do what you like. The more involved you get on campus, the better your experience will be.
12. If you’re having trouble with a class, go to tutoring..
    1. I know that some people like myself don’t like to ask for help, but in the long run you’ll do so much better once you understand what’s going on in class. If you don’t like tutoring, join a study group.
13. If tutoring or study groups don’t work for you, then just go talk to the professor..
    1. You’ll be surprised how much professors are willing to help out as long as you ask them. It might be a little awkward at first, but the more often you go the better each encounter will be.
14. BEWARE OF GROUP PROJECTS!
    1. If you hated group projects in high school, you’ll hate them even more in college. It’s 10x more frustrating because everyone is on different schedules everyday and it’s so hard to meet up for just an hour.
15. If you have the chance to study abroad, DO IT!
    1. I didn’t have the chance to study abroad because of lack of financial need, but if you got the money to go, then GO. It will literally be one of the most unforgettable experiences ever!
16. Use the website, www.ratemyprofessor.com when deciding classes..
    1. Almost all the professors are on that website, read the comments and look at the ratings to see which professors are best for each subject or class. It will be a life-saver, trust me.
17. Internships are the key to getting a good job.
    1. No matter what major you’re studying, the more experience you have coming out of college the more valuable you will look to hiring employers. Internships might not be the best all the time, but they sure will set you up for the real world.
18. Networking, Networking, Networking is so important!
    1. The more people you get to know professionally in your field of study, the more likely you are to get a good paying job after you graduate. It’s one of the most important skills to acquire in these four years.
19. Last, but not least, if you don’t need loans don’t take them out..
    1. If you receive enough financial aid to cover your tuition, don’t take out loans if it’s not necessary. Graduating debt free can be a big accomplishment because that way if you don’t find a job right away, then you won’t have to worry about paying anything back.

Wishing you the Best,

College Senior