Starting your first year of college can be so intimidating.
For years you've grown up with the same people, sharing the same classes with the same perfect structures, and suddenly, wham!- you're thrown into the whirlwind that is a university. There are no handbooks or how-to's to help you figure out how to navigate this new, uncharted water and it can be very hard not to get overwhelmed and drown in it all. Thankfully, the new doesn't take too long to wear off and within weeks, it will feel like you've been doing this whole "college" thing for years.
Here are a few tips I picked up from my freshman year to hopefully help you get along and survive your first semester at college.
1. Don't be afraid to ask questions.
This is so very important. If an assignment is foggy or you're not sure what is expected of you on a test, approach your professor or even shoot them an email. Most professors will be more than willing to help seeing as you actually care about your performance in their class. Not to mention the plethora of resources universities offer, with offices full of people waiting to answer any questions you might have.
2. Go. To. Class.
I know firsthand just how tempting it can be to skip that nine o'clock across campus because it's freezing outside and your warm bed has been begging you to stay and keep it company since your first alarm went off. Ignore it. Skipping every once in awhile is inevitably part of the college experience, but once you pass a certain threshold, skipping turns into habit and that's when missing class becomes dangerous. One Monday morning can turn into only showing up once a week and by the time finals roll around you're struggling to maintain a D. Believe me, this happens all the time. Don't be that kid that can't handle the independence. It's an automatic path to your own self-destruction. You're paying to be there, so use your time wisely and just go to class in your pajamas if that's what it takes.
3. Do your reading assignments.
Those thirty pages you were assigned to finish before the next class meeting were not a suggestion. Chances are there's a real reason your professor directed you do it. I had a class my first semester that consisted of tests made up of 50% lecture and 50% text from our books. The lectures didn't really correlate with the fifty or so pages that were assigned reading for the test, so if you didn't read and you're a bad guesser, your grade probably wouldn't be too pretty.
4. Keep up with your syllabi.
Mark my words when I tell you that this will be your life line. Most syllabi contain due dates for certain assignments, quiz dates, and test dates. I kept all of mine in the front of my binders or notebooks and checked them regularly. It's a really great tool for managing all the work you have to do and, in the process, managing all the stress that comes with it.
5. Try investing in a planner.
Speaking of managing stress, a planner was/is my absolute best friend. With all the different classes and due dates and important things to remember, it really saved my life. I would write down everything. Whether it be homework assignments I needed to work on, different tasks I needed to get done in between classes, or even what I wanted to have for dinner, you could probably find it in my planner.
6. Be friendly. Try socializing.
College can seem really lonely at first. Just know that chances are, the person sitting next to you is just as nervous as you are. I made some really great friends my freshman year just by engaging with the people around me. Don't be afraid to speak up or compliment someone because you might just find a new study partner or gym buddy. It's important to remember that you're not the only one that's feeling isolated or ripped from all familiarity; this is also a new experience for most of your classmates.
7. Check your email.
You don't know true joy until you receive the coveted "class has been cancelled" email. It's the closest thing I've found to the feeling I get on Christmas morning. Of course, you can't experience this if you don't check your email. I know so many kids who would show up to class, sit in their normal seat for ten minutes and finally, after realizing they're the only ones in the room, check their email and see that class is cancelled. Email is important in college. Sometimes professors email revisions to assignments or their syllabi. Sometimes there are different opportunities or events being advertised through email. Make sure you check it at least once a day.
8. Breathe.
It's all going to be okay. Have fun, try new things (within legal reason), and discover new aspects of yourself. College is a time to soak up knowledge and decide what you want for your future, not to start producing grey hair. Don't let the irregularity of it all in the beginning stress you out. Within weeks you'll settle in and realize that college is actually a pretty great place to be.
