Surviving Your First College Year
How does a college student survive their Freshman year? Excitedly! Most college students are excited and nervous about the first day and their first year. No matter how prepared you are you are probably not going to feel prepared enough. No worries, we got you covered.
First Day Jitters & Supplies
Feeling a bit overwhelmed? Don’t be, your first day will be easy peasy and over just as quickly. At the end of the day, you’ll wonder why you were ever nervous in the first place. Here’s a few tips to help you make it through your day.
Don’t buy your books.
Most college students learn this the hard way; they purchase every book on their list. However, there will be college professors that will tell you on the first day which books you really need, which books you will use, and which books are not necessary. WAIT! Wait to purchase your books until after the first day, maybe even your first week.
Don’t bring all your books with you to class! No, wait until after the first day because you may not need to bring them. The first day I’d take a pen/pencil and a notebook. Take thorough notes on what you will need to bring to class daily.
Be Punctual
It’s okay if the professor is late, but it’s not okay if you are late. Be there on time. You may even want to sit in the front of the class…just saying. If you are paying for this, you may as well get the most out of your buck.
Get Chatty
Don’t be afraid to make at least one friend in class. You may need to correspond outside of the classroom about class assignments, expectations and such as that.
The Syllabus
Most college professor’s these days hand out a class semester syllabus you can find it on your class portal. Read it thoroughly and highlight the important dates as to when each assignment is due. Be clear on all assignment instructions, if they don’t make sense or they are not clear… ASK (even if it is just for a friend). Trust me, it will drastically reduce your stress.
First Week
OK! You made it through your first day, whew. Now, let’s get through your first week. Here are a few tips to make it.
- New names, and places! You will not remember the names of everyone you meet the first week. So, don’t even try because you will do good to remember their faces. As far as the places you need to remember, get a campus map and highlight them.
- New faces! Make new friends, you are going to need them at some point.
- Expensive! By now you have probably figured out that college isn’t cheap, and neither are the new class materials that you need. I’d wait as long as you can to purchase these items just to figure out if you will actually need them. You have a phone; it might be easier to just voice record your classes and then when you get home you can re-listen and make notes. That will eliminate carrying tons of notebooks. (3)
- No two classes are the same! Each class will be different and will require different supplies, so make notes of what you need for each class.
- Home is the best! You are going to be exhausted by the end of the day, be prepared to be in bed early or take a nap.
- A quiet place! Find a quiet place for when that moment hits that you become overwhelmed with all the people that you are having to be around.
- Free time! You probably won’t have any free time the first week. But as you get to know your schedule and things calm down, then you should learn to put your free time to good use doing things that are a priority and that you love to do.
- Pre-WarmUp! Do a run through of your schedule prior to your first day. Know where you’re going each step of the way, even where you’re going to have lunch. Maybe even find a quiet spot under a shade tree for that five-minute breather.
- Public facilities! Yep, you are more than likely going to have to use a public bathroom. Keep some Lysol wipes handy for that toilet seat. Wipe it well before you sit.
- Be Adventurous! It’s a good time to get out of your comfort zone and try new things.
Tips for first-year student survival
First week done! Now, let’s get you through the first year. Surviving your first year in college will be a doozy, you will need some good tips. Here they are:
Orientations:
As a first-year freshman, you need to attend all orientations because they will help you in understanding the environment of college and will help you in tackling future issues. Start with a short tour of your campus.
Be Organized:
In college, the professors will hand you a semester syllabus. This is a list for the entire semester assignments and due dates. You will be expected to submit on these on time and possibly with no reminders. So, you need to have an organizer to lay out your day, week, month and semester so that you can remember when your assignments are due.
Choose your major:
You may not have chosen your major yet. There are a lot of college students that don’t chose their major until their Sophomore year. It’s hard to know what you want to major in and simply because you’re enrolled doesn’t mean you have made up your mind. It is the most important decision to you will make at that date and time. So, no need to rush, take your time while exploring your options.
Get to know your professor:
Not only do you need to interact with your professor, but you need to build a good relationship with them as well. College is about networking and who better than a college professor to have on your resume.
Interact with other students:
It is very important to interact with other students. Expand your network with friends as it will help you if you miss any class.
Be confident:
College is the best time for professional development. Be confident, or look it anyways even if you’re not, and do things out of your comfort zone. Try new things.
Set goals:
In college, you need to set your goals. You need to discover what you want to achieve during your college years. You need to make a list that will help you in understanding which activities you should not participate in as it will not contribute to achieving your goals.
Balance activities:
College life is full of fun activities. This will lead to a lot of time planning. As a college student, you must focus on the activities that will help in your studies and avoid activities that are just a waste of time. So, have a balanced study life along with fun extracurricular activities. (4)
Keep an eye on your grades:
You need to know what are your grades in midterm and other activities so that you will not get surprised with your results and if you think that something is wrong you need to discuss it with your professor that you are struggling. Professors like those students who show up to office hours and help them. Feel free to ask for help.
Study room:
Choose a study room or place where you can concentrate on your work. It can be your room or library. Choose a specific time when you study at your favorite place to study.
Career advisor:
Try to communicate with a career advisor. Your career advisor will help you in your coming years in college. You can connect with them through the college career center.
Career fair:
Try to attend all career fairs held on campus or anywhere else. Try to connect with recruiters. Recruiters will remember your face if you show up every time. Communication skills are the main thing that recruiter notice in a student.
In the end, I just want to say, “Just have fun while learning, take advantage of your student and professor networks and get the most out of your college experience.”