First Year College Advice/Tips?

[ThroughMyEyes]

So in a couple months, I graduate from high school. I was already accepted to one of the colleges I applied to, and I'm excited! But the thing is, it's so far away from my family. I've been on my own before (for a PreCollege program), so I feel like I'll be okay for a little while. So if anyone has tips to help me go through my first year, I'd very much appreciate it!

[Anime]

Oooh, exciting! I'm currently a senior, set to graduate next winter, so I hope I'll be able to impart some useful advice.

 

I'm sure you're all ready capable of getting your schoolwork done if you're accepted this early, but I think it's still worth stressing that you'll be fully on your own with no one to poke you to do things or even notice that you're not. Make a point to find out how much time you need to do your work, and then do it as early as possible. Less stress, more free time. :)

 

Since you'll be a freshman, I would think you'll be in the dorms, likely with a roommate of some sort? I'm sure you'll hear this a lot, but be sure you establish boundries with your roommate(s) early on, even if you're rooming with someone you've known for ages. The more space you share, the more detailed you should be with these boundries at first. As you get to know each other's habits better these can be relaxed, but it's much easier to relax strict requests than it is to upgrade lenient ones. And even if you're both super chill, it's worth it just so you know who is responsible for cleaning what, or any protocols you might want in place for having friends (or more) over in the room, when you both tend to sleep, how much light, ect you need.... Also, doesn't matter how cool you are with each other, establish how you're going to label and/or sort the food in your room and what if anything you plan to share and how you'll go about replacing it.

 

And now for something less common: Join a club or organization of some sort. Colleges have org fairs at orientations and during the first week of classes, there will be a ridiculous number of clubs and orgs there advertising and looking for new members. Find one that involves a hobby or interest of yours, and check it out. Even if you know a lot of people when you get there, joining a club will put you around lots of new people, and gives you a structured time and place to meet with all these cool new potential friends with a pre-exisiting common interest. It's also something to look forward to besides just "go to class go to class weekend go to class". :) If you want to start looking now, try googing your school's name + your interest. You should be able to find most clubs that way, even if it's just the school's org pages, so you'll know what to look for at org fairs. And don't be afraid to try a few of them, or leave one that's not fitting. This is about having a fun thing to go to and meet new people at. If it's not fun, stop going. :)

 

Those are really the biggest three things I covered when my brother went off to college at the start of last fall, so that's really all the advice I have that I feel the need to spout right off, hehe. If you have any specific questions I'm sure you'll get plenty of people jumping to answer them for you if you just ask. :)

[KyokoHateshinai]

It's going to be a huge change. I think even more so since you're going to be away from your parents too.

 

I think it's going to be different for everyone, but I think the most general advice I can give (as I do not know you well) is that don't be disappointed when things don't go the way you want to, like studies, making friends, etc. Accept and embrace it before you panic :) It will all pass :)

[Shelley]

Oh how I wish I could be a freshman again!! It was the scariest time and most exciting time of my life. Like when my parents left me in my dorm room all alone with these strangers I had a slight moment of panic. That entire first day was just general anxiety, and my roommates (I had two) were just as anxious. If you're nervous or home sick, just remember that everyone else is too!! All my life I've been the kid that was always home sick, yet when I settled in I realized how much fun college was (especially the weekends!!) and really opened up. I feel like college made me a more self confident and outgoing. I mean I'm still not super outgoing but the people skills I learned will carry on with me for the rest of my life. It's like college is secretly teaching another class that you don't know about.

 

From personal experience- roommates can be the best and the worst. Do not immediately expect that your first roommate is going to be your best friend forever lol- I have some roommate horror stories. However, I am still in communication with all of my roommates and we are still friends so it's all good.

 

It was a lot easier to make friends than I thought, but at the same time it can be intimidating. Clubs were already mentioned...get in on them!! And don't let who you were in high school affect who you think you should hang out with. Some people REALLY intimidated me. Especially going into the art program. But it was funny because in my second year towards the end, some of the art kids told me that I was the one they were intimidated by lol

 

Lastly, make sure you double check everything you've packed before leaving home to move in. Do not forget your bedding. haha. Also just relax ;) Personally, college wasn't as big of a change as I thought people made it out to be. Meditation is also something good to pick up if you don't already practice

 

P.S. does you school have a social networking website for freshman? I made a lot of friends through my school's site that I actually hung out with.

[Dan!elle]

Congrats on almost being a high school graduate!! *throws confetti* I am finishing up my Master's degree this summer, but I was a freshman in college only 4 years ago, so I'm not too outdated ;) I'm curious how far away you'll be from your family. If you're within something like 4 hours away, they can always come rescue you, but further than that and things get a little tricky if you get homesick. I was only an hour and a half away from home, so going home wasn't too difficult to do if I needed to get away. With that being said, I didn't feel the need to escape that often, so just try to make your new home as comfortable as possible! Branch out and meet all sorts of new people as soon as humanly possible. You'll find that your roommate isn't going to be your best friend on campus and you'll want to escape to your actual best friend on campus' room sometimes. This is totally okay! If you feel homesick ever, sometimes the best thing is to escape your dorm room and distract yourself with friends in their rooms. Nothing in there will remind you of home because it's all decorated with their stuff.

 

Now this goes without saying, but you need to definitely establish a schedule for yourself, and not just for classes. Know when you take a shower in the morning or the evening, know when you'll be going to the dining hall for lunch and dinner (breakfast times are usually only important on weekends since no one eats breakfast on weekdays), etc. This will make things seem more natural. If you go to dinner at different times every day you might find instability which can be scary for a freshman. Oh, and ALWAYS use an alarm clock. Being late for class because you slept in makes you look super lazy and that is not the first impression you want to make.

 

Now, for the roommate thing. I had a horrible roommate experience my freshman year and had a single room every year after because I was so scarred. If you suspect something is wrong with your roommate, talk to your RA. Your RA will be your lifeline in many situations (especially in the midnight room lockout, which is inevitable) and in this case may save not only you but your roommate as well. If you're friends on Facebook or anything like that and you notice a big difference in their social life (like being suicidal, which was my roommate's case) you need to report it. If you don't, you'll risk your roommate doing harm to him/herself AND you'll risk insanity for yourself. I can't express enough that you need to keep your sanity. However, don't dwell too much on your roommate. You're not their babysitter. You'll figure out the happy medium.

 

Now when you bring your stuff to school, do know that you'll overpack when you think you're underpacking. You won't use half of that stuff you think you need. But you will find times where you need some odd item that you don't have.

 

Lastly, know the hours of all food places on campus. You don't want to go hungry or have to get on a bus to go to a Walmart at 9pm because everything on campus is closed and you're starving.

 

Remember to have fun, but also focus on your school work. So many people I know regret not spending enough time on their work their freshman year and get sick of the party scene by sophomore year. I never went to a college party, but I've also heard they're dirty. Icky. :P

 

Best of luck!! :D

[coryldork]

I moved away fresh out of high school to a city I had never been to, four hours away from home. I didn't move into dorms, so I can't help there. Personally, I'd advise you avoid dorms on campus and see if you can find student accommodations off-campus.

I'm from Canada and my advice might be a little different, but here we go!

1. Do readings before the lectures and classes.

You'll come to class prepared and ready to clarify points that came up while reading.

2. Talk to your teachers and professors! If you're having trouble with getting assignments done on time, and you know a day or two in advance that you won't be able to submit it on time, let them know. Most profs are really understanding and will give you a bit more time. If they have office hours, you should see them when you have a chance. Ask about the class, about assignments, tests, anything. Getting to know your prof will show them that you have interest and initiative to succeed in their class. Even if they say they don't have one, they will develop a bias toward you. :P

3. Once you have all of your syllabi, compile a schedule of due dates, deadlines, tests, etc. on a calendar--having the visual guide will help you see when you'll have an avalanche of work due.

For me, I like to go through and determine how much effort needs to be put into each assignment. That way I'll know which ones require more time (studying, researching, writing, etc.) and won't be swamped when due dates pop up every day.

4. Pack your bag the night before with all the things you'll need. If you're not a morning person (most days, I'm not), you may forget things when you're getting ready in the morning. If you have your bag ready to go, you'll feel a lot more at ease. I go a bit farther with this and set out my clothes as well. I work on autopilot once I wake up and find this helps me save time in the mornings. I don't fluff around looking for clean clothes to wear or the supplies needed for my classes, and I can actually sleep a little longer!

5. Try and find your textbooks used or online. bookfinder.com is the website I use--just grab the ISBN of the book and put it into the website. It shows the costs of books from all around the Internet. There are also groups on social media that advertise used textbooks for sale. You can also, later on, sell textbooks to underclassmen.

6. Separate your study space from your leisure space. This means don't study in bed, and try to find a different place for Internet browsing than your study area. Some people study solely in the library so their room is their leisure heaven. You'll create a mental association between the spaces and your productivity. That association can really help with your productivity levels.

Good luck! Hopefully my advice helps to some degree.

[marlzbarkley]

Budget, budget, budget. I have two college diplomas and I was really bad for keeping my finances in check (lots of frantic calls to mom, lol)

[decchild]

I moved countries to go to university, and the culture shock for me was really big.

 

You have a bunch of academic advice, so mine will be a bit less focused on school. =)

 

Find yourself.

 

That sounds super general, but when I look back at my uni years, I was pretty unstable in my friends group (oh the stories I can tell...) and academically I had people I trusted plagiarise me and use me for stuff. I was pretty insecure, and my friends group definitely reflected that. I didn't really form any solid friendships until I was a senior (all of my closest friends from uni are from my 3rd/4th year), because I kept myself from forming deep friendships with people since I was on such shaky ground with myself.

 

Don't be afraid of trying new things, ie office hours, clubs, venturing out of your room (I had friends outside of my dorm), go explore the campus and the area, etc. And be both mentally and physically healthy. It's super easy to let exercise slip when you're super busy studying, but try to get in some exercise every week because it'll make you feel better and less stressed.

 

And do what you love. It's super easy to fall into the trap of doing what your parents want you to do because they're paying (I'm assuming, correct me if I'm wrong), and there can be a bit of a guilt complex. Remember this is your life, not your parents or anyone else's. You have to live with your actions and consequences, so ask yourself "in x years do I want to remember my uni experience as ___?."

[just4dailies]

If your clothes are going in a closet don't forget to pack hangers sadly that was my sophomore year not freshman :p

Don't forget that you are in college to learn so while yes have fun, make friends etc. don't forget to actually take time to do your assignments.

Be willing to work to pay for school & bills. I work in the Financial Aid office of the college I attended & it drives me crazy seeing kids take out all kinds of loans every semester seeming to have no thought of how much money they're going to owe at the end of 4 years. You can start budgeting and living wisely in college & save yourself a lot of trouble afterwards.

[FerreroUno]

My college experience was dramatic as well as fun. Within the numbers below, I will tell you what I believe a few people should do in college.

 

1) Know yourself. Who are you? What do you want to be in the future? Do you want to be a doctor etc...? This is a great question to always ask yourself, but don't worry, you have the first 1-2 years of college to figure that out before it gets too costly.

 

2) Don't forget to sign-up for a payment plan. Most American, Canadian, and British colleges have payment plans that can be set up. If you're not financially set with a full college fund ready, then sign up for a payment plan. You pay like a 1/3 every 3 months of your tuition. That helps because it puts off a lot of pressure on the student as well as the parent.

 

3) Most Public universities in the states have a room & board website linked to their .edu website. Be sure to register there and describe yourself. What do you like, sports etc...so you can find the perfect roommate.

 

a) Be careful, if you are already going to room-mate with your best-friend, then set "strict" boundaries. You tend to let things go because they're your best friend and it will cause harm in the near future and this will cause your friendship to deteriorate.

 

b) Always keep your room clean, tidy and organized. This will help when you come to study, by removing "cleaning" as a distraction or excuse from studying.

 

c) Decorate your room. I found that the more I decorate my room like my old room at my family home, I would feel less home-sick.

 

d) I always kept my papers and college-work organized on my desk so I don't lose any papers.

 

e) Get a mini-safe to store your passport and very important items within it so they don't get stolen. Sometimes your roommate might have friends over and some of them aren't always trustworthy, it's best to be safe than sorry.

 

4) Find an organization/club or a job in the area. You will get to meet more people who have similar interests with yourself as well as learn much more fascinating ideas in your field of study.

 

5) Weekends, fun, yet tiring. Try to avoid doing anything on Sundays but schoolwork. Make sure you finish it early or else you will stay up late and feel terrible on Monday.

 

a) Always have a set budget for every weekend, such as $40. $20 for Friday and $20 for Saturday, just in-case you go out with your friends partying or stuff. Always take your ID, Campus ID, Room Key and the $20. Don't take your wallet, credit/debit cards etc..

 

b) Be sure to have a route to use to get back to your dorm or apartment. Make sure you have a few friends who know where you're going to be. If you're going to drink, be sure to have a designated driver or someone in the group who does NOT drink.

 

6) PROCRASTINATION!!!! This is the most important thing all college students will experience. Do not skip a single class day unless you're really sick (Flu, Hospital, etc..) If you skip one class, you'll tend to feel that it is normal to skip another, then another, then another...You'll end up getting stacks of homework, then failing the exams, and then basically ruining your college GPA, your parent's money, and then your time at college. Always go to class, even if there's nothing of importance being lectured. Always go to class. I failed an entire History class because of this.

 

7) Be sure to always keep contact with your parents, family, and old friends. Parents and family because they're you're family. Old friends, because who knows, you might work with them some day.

 

8) Last but not least, this is college, it is a new experience, a new chapter in your book, read it, experience all the details, all the sad times, all the happy times. You won't regret it once you complete it.

[teeniem55]

Get shower shoes! Go to class.  Study. Don't schedule classes for 8am, if you can help it.  Have fun!

[Psmucker3]

get out b4 too late

 

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