New college freshmen seem to be coming out of the woodwork. They’re showing up at their new universities and learning everything that the administration thinks will make them “successful” during their college careers. Although it’s true that they need to know the normal things like how to handle their financial aid, how to pick a meal plan and how to get around campus, there are some things that administrators don’t always tell them.
If you’re an upcoming college freshman, here are my top four tips about what to do with your new free time.
1. Don’t waste your free time. Join various clubs and organizations!
Although I’ve heard that some schools don’t let freshmen join organizations their first semester (especially Greek life!), you should seriously consider becoming a member of one organization or another. Don’t take on more than you think you can chew, especially because your first finals week is going to be a big surprise to you. Clubs and organizations not only do the obvious in helping you make friends in a new place, but they also help you adjust to campus life without being extremely homesick. If you aren’t able to join one during your first semester, then scope out what your campus has to offer and spend some time with the members of one you’re interested in. It’ll help you in the long run, I promise.
2. Keep track of the time you DO have.
You’re definitely going to have more free time than you expect in college, at least at first (or until you follow my first tip.) I know the school will tell you to use that time to study, but I also know that most college students aren’t going to do that. But, you should be aware of how much time you have, when assignments are due and how much time you think it’ll take to finish them. I know some students, sometimes even as old as seniors, that will have an hour between classes and completely waste it. Then these same students will turn around and talk about how little time they have to get a paper done. Don’t be one of those people; use the time you have.
3. Keep all your syllabi and find a way to organize them.
Each professor will give you a syllabus on the first day of class, and this single sheet of paper will tell you when every test is and when every assignment is due. Don’t lose this. Seriously. Some professors will give you more or email them if you lose it, but others won’t care that it’s gone. Personally, I use a planner to write down what’s due every day. I know not everyone wants to carry around a planner, so I’d also recommend using your phone. The calendar app already installed is simple enough, but there are tons of other apps that you could download to get the job done. By keeping track of your assignments and staying on top of them, you’ll have more free time for the fun stuff.
4. Go to Events Your School Pays For
Pretty much all colleges have some sort of concerts, contests, games and more that students can go to for free. Sometimes you can even win prizes just for showing up! The reasons to go to this stuff should be pretty self-explanatory. They're FREE and you can make new friends!
So there’s the advice I have for the new college students out there. Take care of your free time and maybe, just maybe, you’ll survive college. Or you know, you could always just watch Netflix.
Good luck!
