You are starting all over again. You went from being the top of the chain as a senior in high school back to a freshman in college. Don't worry, there is none of that "freshies suck" and "I hate freshman" drama like there was in high school, everyone is an adult now. However, college is a whole different world and there are new things to expect.
Professors are not going to care if you do not turn in an assignment. Instead of classes of twenty or maybe thirty, there is probably about one hundred students in one class. There are too many people for the professor to keep up with and remind that they have not turned in their assignment yet. They will remind you in class every now and then but do not depend on them for this. Don't think that the professors don't care at all, because they do. They want you to graduate in four years just like you do. Keeping a planner to keep up with all your important dates like when assignments are due or when you have a test will help big time and keep you from trying to rush an assignment at the last minute.
If you need help, ask questions. Do not just sit there and hope that you figure this out. This isn't high school anymore where if you fail a class it just affects you a little bit. In college, if you miss the drop date, you pay for the class whether you pass or fail and I can guarantee if you fail that class, your parents are not going to be happy. Failing a class also just sets you back farther from graduating. Your goal should be to graduate in four years, and failing just one class could affect that and extend your stay in college. There's many options to get help. Other students that have gone through the course can help or even ask your teacher if you need help. Also, start studying early. College is not as easy as high school and cramming at the last second is not an option anymore.
One of the biggest things is to go to class. Your classes aren't like they are in high school where you go to class continuously for six hours. Classes can be at multiple different times and you won't have the same classes every day. Some classes you might only have once a week or you may have it three times but attendance is one of the biggest things that people take for granted. Most teachers do take attendance and even have a rule that if you miss a certain number of classes, you automatically fail the class. Attendance is often part of your grade, so just showing up can get you points. Not attending class can also get you behind in the class to where you come to class on test day and fail because you do not know any of the material.
While you do need to put most of your focus towards school work, you do need to schedule time for yourself. Always putting all your effort and time into working can exhaust you. I know it's going to be hard to get a good nights' sleep, trust me I know, but it is very important. Take some time every now and then to just relax and watch some tv or just listen to music. Overwhelming yourself can lead to a breakdown and no one needs that.
