For most colleges in Michigan this is the first day of classes. This means the first day of college for so many new freshman. If these freshmen are anything like I was then they are extremely nervous about beginning this new chapter of their life. Here is some advice on how to make this transition much easier.
Leave your dorm room door open! You have no idea how many friends are made each year just by leaving the door open. The best friends I made last year were all in my dorm building. I either met them from walking into their room to introduce myself or by them doing the same. This is just one way to make the process of meeting people and making friends that much easier.
Join a club or organization. Make sure you are joining something you will actually enjoy. There's nothing worse than joining a club that you don't have fun with and wasting all that time you could have spent doing something you actually enjoy.
Don't spread yourself too thin. Yes, of course college is extremely important. And yes you need to get good grades. But don't make your college experience all about your grades. You need to have some fun every once in a while too. Go out with friends. Have fun. These years will go by fast.
Try to make friends with at least one professor. Make sure it is a professor that you actually enjoy their class. Get to know them and you would be surprised what you find out about them. You never know when you could need a letter of recommendation for a job or for graduate school. When you do you'll be glad you made friends with at least one professor.
Sleep is not overrated. You might not get as much sleep in college as you did in high school. Which means you need to take advantage of having naps. They can be your biggest blessing. Don't necessarily be that student who is constantly taking naps in the public areas of campus. But taking a nap a few times a week is nothing to be ashamed of.
Make friends with your roommate. You are going to be stuck with this person for the entire school year so try to get along with them. You don't want to live with someone you hate or who hates you.
Make friends with staff on campus. Staff can include your RA (Resident Advisor), your Hall Director, residential restaurant workers, and librarians; if they wear a campus ID tag, try to get familiar with them. Even a little friendly chatter between the two of you is enough to set you apart. If you are a regular face, they are more inclined to trust you and accept that sometimes mistakes happen. Be it issues in the Hall, maybe your food passes just ran out, or you really need help with finding documents; if you keep a friendly attitude, they will help you where possible.
Be respectful to law enforcement entities. This should sound like a no-brainer, however a lot of individuals seem to get a voice of hostility around law enforcement. If it’s something simple like helping an officer finding a location on campus that you know about or just allowing the officer to do their job. If anything happens that requires involvement with law enforcement, they will see you as a trustable face. Officers aren’t on campus to bust down parties or to make your day terrible. They are there to ensure you are safe. Feel free to ask them questions, be it about their job or why they got into this. If something does in fact happen, they are more likely to let you off with warnings instead of a citation.
Keep up on health! College is a stressful time. If you haven’t been cooking meals before or not entirely sure where you can find nutrients in food, it may be time to find out. Eating balanced meals on the regular can help with your academic performance, as well as ensuring that you are feeling good and healthy. Consistent and regular exercise is also critical, it boosts your body’s ability to ward off illness. Eating healthy can also help with this.
Try something you wouldn’t otherwise. If it’s a Student Organization, a class type not in your field of study, weekend involvement, or community service trip, branching out can be a great way to meet new people and to find a new way to satisfy your curiosity. Don’t stay locked in your room! Get out there and do something with the community, it’s a great timeless activity that can help bolster your resume for later in life.
Take first semester slow, it’ll help in the long run. The transition from high school to college can be a tricky one. You're on your own, with only time itself and a beautiful campus to have that time on. That said the way you’ll have to manage that time is going to be a lot different. A good way to ensure you’re always on top of school work and staying sane, is to have that first semester as a sort of buffer. Take less class hours if you’re able to, or take classes in your major (they are usually easier ones, seeing as you like to study this kind of stuff) as opposed to trying to knock out your core graduation requirements. You’ve got 4 years to figure out how life post-graduation is going to look, there is no need to rush it.
Know your campus habitat. Get out and explore! There are plenty of things to do on and off campus. For me personally, the best coffee shop in my college town was literally right behind my hall and I would have never known as I never went down the back roads. That said, there are a lot of niche stores that can really radically alter and make better your college experience. Be it from finding a new activity, or a store that offers goods at a cheaper rate than what your local Supermarket can offer.
Don’t be afraid. College can be a scary place, for sure. It’s important to remember that these will be the high points of your adult life. That’s kinda weird isn’t it? That you’re an adult now. With that comes a lot of responsibility, but it’s important to remember that there is a lot you can do now, but equally as many things that you can’t do.
