The first year of college is a mess of emotions. You're at a new school, you most likely don't know a lot of people or anyone at all, and for some of you, this is your home for the upcoming semester. College, in general, is a learning experience. It's a time to experiment, make new friends/connections, and learn about yourself. Freshman year is just the start to it all, which makes it stressful for most people.
From a once college freshman to the incoming freshmen:
1. The syllabus is your friend
Wouldn't it be great if your high school teachers wrote out the whole year for you? What you'll be learning each week, what's expected of you, all the assignments, when the tests will be, etc. My dear friend, that's called a professor and the magical piece of paper that has everything on it is called a syllabus. You know, that piece of paper that teachers give out on the first day that we usually have to sign and bring back or just throw away? Yeah, that. Except, in college, you don't have to get it signed and you won't want to throw it away. The syllabus will have all the assignments, the upcoming tests, what chapters you'll be covering each week, and even tell you how the professor grades.
2. Class
This one is tough, I want to be a good person and say "yes go to class" but sometimes it really is optional. There are people I've seen only show up on test days and pass the class with flying colors. It depends on the professor (meaning: read the syllabus). Some professors take attendance for extra credit so it's up to you whether or not you want the extra points. Some professors don't take attendance at all so it's totally optional for you to show up. Other professors take attendance as a grade and you actually might end up failing the class after a certain amount of absences. Then you have the professors that will just randomly take points for attendance throughout the semester, so you never know which day they will take attendance. It's completely up to you whether or not you want to skip class. My recommendation is at least go for the first few classes and see how it is if the class is easy and notes are online and your professor doesn't take attendance then it's up to you. If it's a class that's a little harder and you don't always understand things then you might just want to show up to every class.
3. Get involved
It's easier said than done. Freshmen year I definitely recommend you look at your options and see what your college has to offer but don't overwhelm yourself. I ended up taking on two jobs, a full-time school schedule, and multiple night classes which made my second semester of freshmen year awful. I didn't have time to get involved nearly as much as I wanted. Let yourself have some free time. Staying sane is pretty important for your freshman year. Don't overwhelm yourself with the max amount of credits and two jobs because the experience is important throughout college.
4. Meeting new people
It's great if you stay friends with the same people you were friends with in high school but unfortunately that's not always the case. You'll meet a ton of new people while in college, but don't expect them to become your best friend. People find their own places even on the same campus, and your high school friends will most likely attend other schools. I'm not saying you'll lose all of your friends from high school, but you'll definitely end up with a smaller group.
5. Connect with your professors
I work as a tour guide for my college and I can't stress this fact enough to incoming students: get to know your professor. Most of my previous professors knew somebody in the field I was studying, or some even own their own businesses in that field. What I'm saying is, it's super important to build your network throughout college. Get to know your professor, become friends, and network. Even working on campus, doing a work-study job, get to know the staff you work with.
6. Create a resume
Going to college, I couldn't believe how many classes I took that told me this. I already had one that I frequently updated but there would be other freshmen asking me how to format it, what to put on it, wording, etc. Yes, create a resume if you don't already have one. Campuses usually have someone that can look it over for you as well and tell you how to properly format it and how to spice it up.
I can give you all the advice in the world about your first year of college, but at the end of the day what you put in is what you will take out of your experience. Good luck fresh-meat!
