As a young, naive 18-year-old girl, I ventured to college with basically no idea what was going on. My high school did the bare minimum to prepare us and as someone who had basically been a straight A student most of my school career, I was ridiculously confident that college would be a breeze. Boy, I was wrong. As someone who's been through college and graduated, there are quite a few things I wish I had known early on and some things I'd tell future freshman given the opportunity.
1. Don't take an 8 AM class. Seriously.
You think you can do it, but you can't. Waking up that early and sitting through a lecture is going to be a challenge, much less actually paying attention and taking notes and being a productive member of the class. Unless you're just someone who gets up incredibly early because of an internal alarm clock, you will regret signing up for those dreaded 8 AM's. Give yourself a break and don't start until 9. Hell, wait until 11!
2. Don't skip class, even if attendance isn't mandatory.
Just because the teacher says you don't have to be there, doesn't mean you shouldn't go. Actually going to class and taking notes will benefit you so much more than just reading the powerpoint slides the day before your exam. Not to mention, teachers notice whether you come to class or not. By being there, you're showing the teacher that you're interested in learning the material and trying your best. They'll remember that down the road when you're asking for an extension on a deadline or some extra credit.
3. Think hard about your major.
Even if you have to take the first year to do nothing but general education classes to think on it, do it. Talk to teachers in the department, look at the requirements, look at jobs around the area you think you'll want to live down the road. You don't have to know what you want to do the second you apply to college. Take the time to understand what it is you want to do with your life, and make sure it's something you'll be happy with down the road. Don't think about money, or your friends, or your significant other. Think about you!
4. Join a study group.
Make some friends in your classes and study together. You're more likely to actually go study if you've got some friends pushing you along. Also, if you don't know the answer to a question, someone in the group might. Make study guides, quiz each other, share and exchange note cards. You're bound to miss information on your own, so ask around and make sure you know exactly what to study. It'll help with exams, trust me.
5. Go out and have fun every once in a while.
Don't lock yourself in your room 24/7 studying. It'll make you crazy and you'll end up crying on the floor wanting to drop out and move back in with your mom. Treat yourself to a nice dinner every once in a while, or go to the nearest bar and just sit and talk to your friends. Getting away from everything for even an hour can do wonders for your mental health. You'll thank yourself in the long run.
6. Find a good roommate.
When it's time to find a place to live, pick the right person to do it with. Living with someone you don't like is an absolute nightmare. It makes going home something to frown about and you feel like a prisoner in your room. Take the time to get to know someone before moving in with them. Find out how they live, how messy they are, if they have pets--anything! Because once you find the right roommate, it's perfect and it's likely they'll be your friend for a really long time.
7. Don't beat yourself up.
You aren't going to ace every single exam. You're going to forget about a homework assignment. You're going to be late for class, or even forget all together and miss it. You're going to fail at least one thing while you're in college and that's FINE. Don't give yourself a hard time. Take those failures and learn from them. It's not the end of the world.
8. You're going to be fine.
I know things feel rocky when you first start out. It's harder than you thought. You've probably lost a friend or two. You've failed a test or two. Maybe you even failed a class. You're going to feel like you're suffering sometimes. That's okay! You just have to pick yourself back up and learn. When you're walking across the stage in the next few years, diploma in hand, you'll be glad you did this. It's a sense of accomplishment that you'll never achieve anywhere else. Everything is going to be fine, you just have to believe in yourself.
