Going into my freshman year of college I felt a little lost and overwhelmed. Now, going into my junior year I’ve picked up on some things that I really wish I knew before I moved away to college.
1. You may not stay close with every person you meet
Depending on where you go to school there may be 500 students or 50,000 students. So people you meet at the coffee cart or bump into at the gym and strike up a conversation with might not become your best friend. Living in a dorm building you will make friends. As for roommates, I’ve had my fair share of crazy roommates. When that happens you just have to be nice and do your own thing.
2. Take as many credits as you can for the money you pay
I know at my university you can take up to 16 credits for the same price of taking 12 credits. If you schedule properly and you have time, why not knock out classes you may possibly have to take in the summer or push off until later? It’s not free money so take advantage of it!
3. Learn to plan
Trying to juggle school, friends, extracurriculars, and a job if you have one can be tricky. It’s really helpful to stay organized with everything you have going on. Whether you write it on a calendar on your wall, the calendar on your phone, a notepad, or a planner it is super helpful to see everything you have going on laid out where you can see it and adjust it if needed.
4. Learn to take care of yourself, eat properly, exercise, etc.
The freshman 15 is a real thing and it seems like, for a lot of people ,it became the freshman 50! I gained a fair amount of weight my first year that I’m still trying to work off. It doesn’t take much to make sure your body doesn’t become Chipotle and McDonald's.
5. Call your parents
You might have too much pride to admit that you miss your parents and your family, but they miss you, so you should call them. You may have went away to get rid of them, but they will still be there. I honestly call my parents once or twice a week just let them know what I’m up to and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. You should also call your grandparents, they miss you too and they love hearing that their grandchildren are learning how to become productive members of society.
6. Utilize your resources - library, computer labs, etc.
You may think you are going to be able to study in your room for the exam coming up but 9/10 times I guarantee you end up staring at the ceiling wondering who invented air vents and how you should write them a thank you note. The library is full of resources you might not even know you needed, more often than not they have all of your textbooks which could be very helpful if you don’t want to spend a ton of money renting or buying them. For the most part you can also find a quiet spot to actually get studying done. Also, having a laptop or desktop in your dorm may not be a necessity. The library always has computers for use and depending on your major you may only need a computer a handful of times. I know I only used my computer a few times to write essays my freshman year and that was first semester. Buying an expensive laptop your first year may not be the best investment, you might change your path and not need it at all or need something entirely different. Also if you don’t want to spend a few hundred dollars on a printer, you can print things off at the library.
7. Study harder than you think you need to
In high school studying for half an hour before an exam would get you a B, maybe an A if you were lucky and it was a multiple choice test. However, in college this, sadly, does not work. I’m not going to lie and say I’ve never done it, I have, but as I sat at my desk at 4 in the morning praying I could learn the material and then walking out of the exam feeling absolutely drained because I had no idea what I just did, it was not a good feeling. It’s possible to achieve 4.0 but you need to study hard. By study hard I mean look at your syllabus at the beginning of the semester find every exam and quiz you may have, make sure you know when they are, and start learning that material after the class is over or that night review it. This may seem like a no brainer but reviewing the material you learn in your classes for five-10 minutes a night will make a huge difference when it comes down to exam day. You won’t be so stressed because you can review the information so it is fresh in your mind and you won’t be cramming the night before.
8. Be respectful to your professors
If you are taking a class you find difficult or you know may not be your strongest subject make yourself known to the professor. Be the person who sits in the front and asks a lot of questions, you may feel annoying but I bet you a lot of your classmates have those same questions as well they are just afraid to speak up and ask. Go to their office hours if you need help or ask them to recommend a tutor. When they know who you are it’s going to be very hard for them to give you a poor grade or fail you. If they see that you are doing everything in your power to pass their class they are going to want to help you and make sure you get a passing grade, compared to a student who never went to class or for help. I took a course last spring and I’m very sure the professor only passed me because I constantly went in for help since I couldn’t grasp the material, but I never gave up on trying to learn it.
9. Talk to your RAs and people on your floor who have been there longer
It can be really helpful to make friends with upperclassmen, they have a lot of insight on what can be beneficial to you. They know things you may not be able to figure out on your own. For example, how different professors teach a certain way, how tough their class may be, do you need a book? Should you print off their notes and then make notes on things they say? Or maybe the upperclassman you know has the textbook and they offer to sell it to you for way cheaper than what you could have got it for. My second year I had a roommate who was a year above me and she helped me so much with figuring out what professors were good and she even gave me a few textbooks she didn't need anymore which saved me a lot of money.
10. Don’t buy your books before the first week
I spent so much money buying books my first semester and I didn’t even use half of them. Wait until you go to the class and the professor will tell you if you really need the book or not, or ask someone who has taken the course if you really use the book or not. If you do have to buy a book, try to find it online at Amazon, or Chegg, you can often buy or rent for a lot cheaper than renting/buying directly through the school.
Freshman year is a lot of things, it’s exciting and new but it shouldn’t be as stressful as you think. If you know how to go about it you should be just fine!
