1. Check your class locations
I know this is super self-explanatory, but please please PLEASE do this!!! Find out exactly where each of your classes are held (building and room,) because as a freshman you are not going to have a single clue where anything is. Take a day with your roommate or some of your new friends and just walk around acclimating yourself to campus before the first day of class and there are 37,000 people walking around.
2. Figure out which bus to take
Check your school's bus schedule and check which routes pick up and drop off at the buildings you need to go to. Also, make sure that it isn't just quicker to walk, some buses get crazy crowded during the peak class times (anywhere from 10-2) and you might not fit and wind up having to walk anyway. No point on waiting if you can walk even faster!
3. Walk from class to class
The classes that you can walk to- walk them before class starts!!!! Figure out the fastest route (find shortcuts on campus, there are tons.) See how long it takes you to get from class to class to make sure you won't be late- but I would add 5 minutes to the time, slow walkers and busses make it hard to walk it at a normal pace!
4. Plan out a time to eat
Look at your class schedule and see when you have a break, 45 minutes to an hour, so you can eat something. It doesn't have to be anything huge but I promise that you will feel better and focus easier if you eat during the day. Having classes all day long, back to back, sometimes you can forget and once you get to that last class of the day it will hit you… hard.
And you DON'T want to be the kid whose stomach is growling loud enough for everyone to hear. And if you don't have time to sit down and eat a meal, always make sure to carry snacks like granola bars or fruit. You can easily eat those walking to class or in class to tie you over until you can eat a real meal.
5. Check your school email
Make sure to do this a couple times before classes start. Your professor might the type that we all hate, to hop right in on the first day. Syllabus week, whatttt? You may need to already have acess codes or subscriptions in order to complete everything on day 1.
Also, this isn't something I have personally encountered but some professor expect you to go ahead and have some kind of reading done before day one, and you don't want to walk in blind to that fact.
Your first couple of weeks of college can be hard, scary, confusing but SO MUCH FUN at the same time. These are just a few things that I advise doing, but no matter what prepare yourself mentaly. College is a whole different game, and were in it to win it? Good luckJ
