You've made it through high school, your caps have been thrown, and you've finally decided on an institution that will give you the best chance at success. You're ready for new friends, a new environment, and ultimately, new experiences that will help you grow into the young professional, but how will you get there? Here are some tips that I've accumulated by working with transitioning incoming freshmen.

1. Keep An Open Mind.

It is easy believe that you've done and seen it all by the time you've turned 18, but you must realize that there are a wide variety of cultures and people that you have yet to interact with and that you will experience some degree of culture shock. From little things such as what qualifies as "on time" and what boundaries are appropriate with new friends, to larger things such as how to interact with a roommate or professor, you will have to keep an open mind and be patient, realizing that not everyone was raised with the same upbringing as you and that's okay. It is easy to reject new ideas and become offended by differences in people, but keeping an open-mind mentality will help you gain more awareness and give you the best chance at success.

2. A Positive Attitude Goes A Long Way.

In my experience, the students who had a positive attitude were consistently the most successful in the classes they were taking (regardless of their prior knowledge or aptitude for a topic). Often times, a positive attitude will make you more attentive in class and in turn cause you to learn more and score better on exams and assessments. Submerging yourself in your education can be both engaging and rewarding, and will ultimately make you an excellent college student.

3. Don't Be Afraid to Ask for Help.

College is a huge transitioning period, and often times new students experience culture shock when their high school work ethic and product quality is no longer satisfactory. This realization is necessary and very normal, even for the high achieving high school graduate, and can either be your downfall or the thing that brings you up. Some students choose to try to figure out how to improve the quality of their work on their own and resultantly endure a period of lower scores throughout that learning curve, while other students seek out their professors and succeed from the onset of their college career. Asking for help may feel as though you are a lesser student in the class, however, it is necessary for your success and will put you ahead of your peers.

Overall, college is a learning curve that requires patience both with yourself and your new surroundings and peers, however, it can be as great as you let it be. By keeping an open mind, positive attitude, and asking for help, you can and will be the most successful college student that you can be.