For incoming freshmen starting their first semester at college this week or in the next few weeks, there are some important tips you'll need to know to get through this rough first semester. I'm here to hopefully provide some tips to get you through life on an unfamiliar campus with unfamiliar faces and classes. So, here's some of the most important things I wish people would have told me before I started college.
1. No matter if it's t-shirts or bottles of water, take the free things and take plenty of them. You WILL regret it if you don't.
2. Use all of the opportunities you can to make new friends. College is scary, why do it alone?
3. Find fun things to do in the town where your college is. Don't restrict yourself to just being on campus all the time.
4. Don't be afraid to ask for directions to a class or the cafeteria or anything else. More than likely, the people you ask once had the same questions.
5. Utilize things like the library and your university's fitness center. It's in your tuition to pay for those things, so might as well take advantage of them.
6. Also, if you need help in a class, almost ALL professors have office hours where you can stop by and ask for help.
7. Leave your dorm room/apartment! You'd be surprised by how many kids just stay locked in their rooms when they aren't in class.
8. Take advantage of study sessions with your peers.
9. Advisors are there to help you sort through classes and put you on track to graduation. Make a point to visit them at least once a semester, if not more.
10. Always remember that it takes one bad grade to drop your GPA a few points, but it will take MANY classes with A's to even have a chance of bringing it up half a point.
11. Attendance is a thing! Yes, most college professors DO count for attendance. Also, it can hurt your financial aid or scholarships tremendously if you don't go to class.
12. Every time extra credit is presented, do it. It's never hurt anyone to have a few extra points as a cushion just in case you miss an assignment or two.
13. Unlike high school, college doesn't have a dress code. Feel free to express yourself in what you wear, but do remember that you're an adult now, and college is handled like business, so it doesn't kill you to dress nice for professor meetings or other things like that.
14. If your school has specific parking spaces for students, do yourself and everyone else a favor and park where you're supposed to.
15. The campus police are your friend, not your enemy. They are there to keep you safe. If you ever feel uncomfortable, call them. You pay to go to school and get an education, so you have a right to inform someone of when you are uncomfortable or having problems.
And, as always, ask questions if you don't know the answers to them. College should be a learning experience, not a frightening time. You should be having fun and expanding your knowledge at the same time. So with these tips, go out and conquer this fall semester!
