Social:
Get Involved! Join a club, sorority/fraternity, an intramural sport, or whatever else you find interesting! (Maybe don't join a cult, though? Just a suggestion.) You'll meet some of your best friend through extracurricular activities, and you'll be happy you have them when things get rough.
Sit Next to New People in Class! If you're in the same class, especially if it's relative to a particular major, then you likely have something in common! Start a conversation and make a new friend! My go-to thing was to start a conversation about the professor or the class and then go straight to "Can we be friends?!?!" They usually said yes, and I made a lot of friends by doing that. Sometimes they would just look at me like I was absolutely nuts, but they eventually said yes and we laugh about it now.
Don't Visit Home Too Often! Homesickness is easily one of the hardest things you will go through in the beginning of your first semester. Call or Facetime you're friends and family at home as often as you can, but the connections you are making on campus are important! Spend those weekends hanging out with friends and studying!
Get To Know Your Neighbors! There are at least 30 girls/boys in just your dorm hallway, and you're probably going to be living in that hall for the next nine months. Get to know them! Prop your door open or send a message in the hallway group chat introducing yourself. In my dorm freshman year, the girls would often leave a bowl of candy or something outside their door during exam week (great way to make people happy).
Go To Games! I don't think I have anything else to say other than "GO TO GAMES!!" Football, Baseball, Volleyball, etc.. Wear those school colors with pride and cheer as loud as you can. Whether it's ringing the cowbell or waving a pom-pom around in the air, those are the moments you want to remember.
Personal:
Take Time For Yourself! You come first. Not your classes. Not your friends. You. Take time each day to center yourself and de-stress. It could be as simple as exercising, reading a book, listening to music, watching Netflix, or taking a nap. It doesn't really matter what you do, but do it. You deserve that time.
Exercise! The Freshman 15 is LEGIT! Exercising not only helps prevent unwanted weight gain, but also helps protect you against diseases and manages stress. Your health is important!
Explore! Find a place either on or off campus where you can study without interruptions. Sometimes you can't always study in your dorm, so you need to know of a few places you can go study.
Know Your Worth! It can be difficult to know your worth when you either get 'bad' grades or change your major. There's a negative stigma around changing your major when classes get hard, just know that you are doing what is best for you, and no one has the right to say anything. You are meant to be there and you are allowed to take up space. You are important to your university, your friends and your family. Know that you are valued, and you are loved.
Academic:
Go To Class!!! I can't stress this enough, go to class. At some point, you're not going to feel like going to class. You'll convince yourself that you're too tired, too busy, you might have another exam to study for... yeah no. Don't skip class. There are so many things that you can miss from just skipping one hour of class. You paid to be there, go to your classes and get good grades. Sick? Yeah you probably shouldn't go to class. Nobody wants you getting your sickness on them, and you will need rest anyway.
Try Your Hardest! There's no way you can be great at everything, but try. Your professors will notice your efforts and it might bring them to bump your grade up if you ask.
Get Help If You Need It! There's no shame in asking a professor or a tutor for help. It is in your best interest to do whatever you can to keep your grades up. If your professor can't help you, take the next step and go to another professor's office hours and ask if they can help.
Get a Good Backpack! Big or small campus, you need a practical and sturdy backpack. This goes back to focusing on your health. Back pain sucks and if you don't have a good backpack, your back as well as other parts of your body will suffer.
Take Notes! Professors will often make little hints during their lectures that are important for quizzes, exams, and homework. Pay attention and write them down. Find key points in the lecture and connect them to lessons.
Good luck!
