As you make the transition from high school to college, you’ll quickly find yourself pointing out how different everything is. 

Classes will soon become the sun that you revolve around. When you’re not in lectures or discussions, you’ll either be doing homework, reading for class, or studying for exams. As freshman, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with everything that will be going on in your life so it’s nice to know what awaits you.

1. Classes: The biggest change when I entered college was the actual size of the class. Class size can range from only 20 students in a classroom to over 300 in a giant lecture hall. It can be a little intimidating at first but don’t let that stop you from raising your hand to ask a question or make a comment. Depending on the course, there will be two parts to your class: a lecture and a discussion. Your lecture will be taught by your professor and will follow the textbook. Your discussion is taught by your TA and is important because you might be graded on attendance or participation.

2. Take Advantage of Office Hours: As previously stated, it can be intimidating to ask your professor questions or ask for clarification when you’re in such a large class. Even if your professor seems like a busy person, remember that there is no such thing as a stupid question. Most professors are very approachable and even love having their students come in for office hours. You should definitely take advantage of your professor and TA’s office hours. Go for extra help, homework questions, or even just to talk.

3. Textbooks:  Remember when the majority, if not all, your textbooks for school were free? Cherish that memory. The real question is: do you really need every single textbook on your syllabus? Yes and no… There are definitely classes that you could potentially not need a textbook for. But with that said, it’s definitely a risk to not be prepared. However, most professors have copies of their textbooks on reserve at the library or you can find a lot of them online so if you want to hold out on buying your textbooks for the first weeks of class then that’s fine too. There are also Facebook pages where students will sell their used textbooks for cheap and trust me, that is the way to go.

4. Do Your Homework: This tip may seem like a no brainer but nevertheless, still important. Unlike high school, professors are most likely not going to go through and see who did what. If you don’t pass something in, they are not going to do anything about it except not give you credit. Doing your homework and other assignments are an easy way to rack up points especially if taking tests is not your forte. Homework could make or break you. Make sure you always do it on time since most professors don’t accept any late work at all.

5. Midterms and Finals: Midterms and finals will count for the majority of your grade so it’s imperative that you do well. Classes will range from having one or two, sometimes even three, midterms and one final. Since UCLA’s quarter system gives you only 10 weeks with each class, midterms and finals approach you quickly. Many writing and humanities courses will have papers or a project due instead of exams. Take advantage of the test bank on campus to get copies of old exams because most professors use the same format and even recycle past questions. The test bank will also have copies of essays if you have trouble with the format or content of your essay question.   

6. Where’s My Class?: It’s easy to get lost on such a large campus so before your first day of class, it’s a good idea to locate where your classes are. UCLA has an online map that will save your life. A good tip is to screenshot where each of your classes are. If you’re living on the hill, make sure you leave your dorm room at an appropriate time because it can take some time to get to your class. During my first week, I left a half hour from my class time to give myself some extra time. The class before yours will usually end ten minutes before yours starts so get to class at least ten minutes early to make sure you get a good seat.     

7. Attend Class!: Even if you think you’ll be fine skipping, don’t. Even if your class is podcasted, don’t. Not attending class can end up really hurting you down the line. Even if you’re tired, don’t get lazy and skip. Going to class will keep you on track with your workload and could remind you of any assignments that have slipped your mind. Some professors will grade on attendance by giving pop quizzes or extra credit that can only be done in class. We all know that tuition is expensive so don't waste your money by not going to class. You're here to learn, aren't you?  

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