If this were The Game of Life, your little plastic car would be at the start of the right fork on the plastic road entitled START COLLEGE. You would spin the colored wheel, land on "Spring Break: Pay $5000" or "Study in Europe: Collect Life Tile." On your next turn, you would spin again, hit the JOB SEARCH stop sign and poof! College is over. Turns out, in real life, college takes more than two spins of the wheel. Those two spins represent four years of learning and growing as a person: four years of classes, friendships, club meetings, meals at the dining hall, parties, dates, tests and more.
Congratulations! You're about to take this first "spin" into college. You may be scared, nervous, excited, intimidated, enthused or any other combination of emotions. You're not the only one. There are millions of other people about to embark on this very same journey. Even better, there are billions who have embarked on this journey before you. This means there are billions of pieces of advice from the billions of people who have entered college in the past. I have compiled a list of some handy advice both from myself and college students elsewhere to help guide you in your first year. These are tips us college students wish we had known going into our freshman year but, instead, learned the hard way. Lucky you! You get a little cheat sheet! Without further ado, here is the list:
(And please keep in mind we are all still mastering these tips ...)
Buy a Planner
Buy a planner and use it! Your life has probably never been busier than it is about to be and your poor memory will be cramming facts for all of your classes, so don't add assignments, appointments and dates to your already overflowing load of mental information.
Be Yourself
Don't forget who you are just because you want to make some friends. Your real friends will be the people who like you for YOU and not somebody you feel like you have to be.
Set Your Alarm the Night Before
If you're going out but can't afford to sleep until 4 PM the next day, set your alarm for the morning before you go out.
No Question is a Stupid Question so Ask it
You're paying a lot of money to go to school or you're getting a lot of money to go to school. Either way, a lot of money is being spent on your education; don't be afraid to ask questions if something doesn't make sense during class. Every question that goes unasked is a waste of money and every question that gets asked adds value to your money.
Most schools have incredible gyms with fitness classes, great athletic equipment, indoor pools and any other number of wonderful assets. Use these things! They have been paid for! More importantly, exercise, because it is one of the keys to a longer, healthier and happier life. Exercise will combat the "Freshman Fifteen" and get your endorphins going when you feel stressed out. It also makes for a nice study break and helps you retain information. And if you're anything like me, which means sometimes an hour in bed looks much more appealing than an hour at the elliptical, get a friend or group of friends to go to the gym with. Now exercising is also a social activity!
Get Involved in Things but Not too Many Things
Joining clubs and organizations is a major aspect of the college experience. Some of you are under-committers and some of you are over-committers, so it may be hard to find the balance of free time and activities freshman year. This is perfectly normal. I've had both problems and so have you, maybe. Join organizations you are passionate about. Try something you know you love and maybe some area you want to explore. Freshman year is partially about finding the clubs you want to remain a part of, but remember, it's better to be very committed to one club than kind of committed to many. My biggest problem was I thought the college workload would be like the high school workload, so I could handle tons of clubs, which was not the case.
Take Classes that Interest You
Sign up for classes that peak your interest. Studying for tests and sitting in lectures will be much more enjoyable this way. Even if you have a set major, take new types of classes. Not only will you be more nuanced as a student, you will also be able to think in a variety of different ways, which any employer finds a plus.
Mold Your Schedule to Your Needs
Take ownership of your education: build your semester schedule in a way so that it is not backloaded senior year. If you know you have difficulty waking up in the morning, try not to sign up for 8:30s. Over the year, you'll figure out what kind of schedule works well for you: don't forget it.
Watch Your Drinks
If you're going to drink, which of course, you don't have to do but many college students choose to do, don't put your drink down and pick it up again later (girls, pay close attention). Eyes on the drink ALL THE TIME, from watching it get poured to the last drop in the glass.
Don't Let a Bad Test Grade Discourage You
When you get a 57 on your test, don't give up. You can still do well in the class, you're probably just doing something wrong. Talk to your professor, see what they recommend and take their advice. Let them know you care and they will work with you. Trust me, I went from a C- to an A- in a class when I did this. You just need to be willing to work hard and the grade will go up.
Find Some "Me" Time
Don't forget to have some "me" time, even if you're a major extravert. This is probably the first time in your life when you will be surrounded by the same people 24/7 for months at a time. Watch some Netflix, read a book in a coffee shop somewhere off campus ... whatever it takes.
You Don't Need to Buy All of Your Textbooks
Every book you buy for class is worth a heavy dollar. It's important to realize that you don't need to buy all of your textbooks brand-new. You can rent them or buy them used. And chances are, the books your school bookstore sells are way overpriced; try buying them on Amazon.
Try to Get a Mentor
It's great to have an older student or a professor as a mentor. They can guide you when you have questions, and become a role model for you. One day, you may be a mentor for some new freshman, too.
Don't Be Embarrassed to Go to Tutoring
There are lots of tutoring resources available on college campuses for free! Take advantage of these resources as they will only enhance your knowledge. People will not look down on you for getting tutored and if they do, they're probably just jealous of your A's!
Don't Stress About Friendships
Don't put too much pressure on yourself to make your best friends for life in the first few weeks; you may not meet your best friend day one, or even month one, and that is okay! If you remain friendly, you'll keep meeting people all four years of college. You'll naturally meet the people you gel well with. Try not to tie yourself to one group of friends, either, and always seize opportunities to meet new people when they arise. Lastly, your roommate may become a best friend or may not: whatever happens, it's okay.
Let Your Classmates Inspire You
Don't let all of the intelligent, amazing people around you with their incredible achievements hold you back. Use these people as inspiration to do great things, not as deterrents that keep you from achieving things. The first step to success is always psychological: believe in yourself. Don't say, "So-and-so is really smart, that's why she made Dean's List but I'm not as smart so I may as well not even try to make Dean's List." This attitude will not get you Dean's List (or whatever it is you want). Instead say, "So-and-so did it therefore I can too!"
Get Out of Your Dorm Room
This is particularly relevant to those of you in colder climates: cabin fever is real. Don't stay in your dorm room all day long.
Keep a Journal
Keeping a journal is good for numerous things but two in particular: getting the emotions out and recording memories that you might otherwise forget.
Contribute to Class Discussions
The more you talk in class, the better you will become at voicing your opinion in class. Practice makes perfect.
Make Sure You Sleep
I can thank my neuroscience class for this tip. Sleep solidifies your memory. When you sleep, your brain decides what information should be stored and what information can go. It also makes you more awake in class the next day and betters your focus on a test. So, make sure you sleep: especially the night before a test.
Keep in Touch with Friends from Home
If you want to stay close with people from home, you must put in effort. Some people are better at staying in contact than others; give your friends a call once in a while. Calling is much more personal than texting. Send out some birthday cards. When your friends see you putting in effort, if they're good friends, they will put in effort, too, and you may find the distance apart makes you closer.
Don't Be Afraid of To See a Therapist
Many schools offer free psychological services; take advantage of these! If you think they might help, try them out. Go during the first few weeks of school, even if nothing in particular is bothering you. If you build a relationship early-on with a therapist, when something is bothering you it will be much easier to talk with them.
It's Okay to Stay In
Don't be afraid of missing out if you don't attend every single social event. If you feel like staying in, stay in. You don't need to be present at every social gathering to fit in.
Make Sure You Are Studying Something You Actually Care About
This one is pretty self-explanatory. If you study something you love you will be happier and more successful.
Keep Your Favorite Medicine Handy
Make sure you have a homemade emergency kit handy so that when you get pneumonia, like I did, you don't have to leave your room for medicine and canned soup.
Know How To De-Stress
Meditate, read a good book, do some yoga, drink camomile tea, go for a run ... whatever your preferred method, figure it out because you will need it.
Listen to Learn
Be a sponge for learning. If you listen to learn rather than for the upcoming essay/test, not only will class be more interesting, but you will also retain more information.
It's Okay If You Don't Get a 4.0
College is hard and 4.0s are not as attainable as they were in high school. Don't sweat it if you don't make a perfect GPA, college is about so much more than that: the activities you participate in, the relationships you form and numerous other things. As long as you work hard, you should be proud of yourself.
Be Thankful
On those days when you're severely stressed and feel like the world is going to end, remember that there are millions of people in the world that would give anything to trade places with you. Your education is opening more doors for you than you can ever imagine. Also, don't forget to thank those people who helped you get to where you are today.
Now you are ready to begin the college life. Get excited! These next four years will be some of the best years of your life! Now it's time to look up an article on how to pack and please, don't forget the socks.
