Being a college student can be a little overwhelming at times. However, you shouldn’t worry too much; you will love it! It is all right to feel nervous about moving in to your dorm room and starting in this new era of your life. Being away from home might be pushing your comfort zone, but the experiences you will have and the people you will meet will make it worth it. Here are some things you should know before you start.
1. Some high school friends will not stick around.
Chances are you will have to part ways with some of your high school friends. Whether it is the distance or a change in routine, it is bound to happen, but it’s going to be ok. You will be on campus with thousands of others your age. There are many ways to meet people around campus. You will find new friends in the most unexpected places, like outside of your dorm at 11 at night wearing your pajamas because someone didn’t know how to cook popcorn and set off the fire alarm (believe me, it will happen).
2. Take advantage of Welcome Week!
There will come a day when you have to move in all by yourself, but your freshman move-in day is not it. GCU has a wonderful set of volunteers each year to help freshmen move in to their dorms. All you have to do is print out a page from your housing portal and place it in the windshield of your car. You will make your way to your dorm, where the volunteers will unload everything inside your car and take it up to your room. Don’t take the welcome week activities for granted, either. The many events that GCU organizes for the week are wonderful for meeting new people, besides being a lot of fun. Plus, you will get a lot of free GCU gear during Welcome Week.
3. Be aware of the rules.
Yeah. I know rules aren't fun, but you need to know them. There will be a mandatory meeting on your floor before school starts when your Resident Assistants (RAs) will explain everything you need to know, like hall hours. Knowing these rules will save you a lot of hassle. You don't want to be doing service hours on weekends because you forgot you needed to keep your door opened when someone of the opposite sex was visiting.
4. Get to know your Resident Assistants.
RAs are there for more than to keep you in line with the rules. In fact, they are there to help you have a good experience. If you are friendly with the RAs, you will have an easier time transitioning into living on campus. RAs know their stuff and are usually more than willing to help you with basically anything. Needless to say, save their phone numbers. It will make it that much easier to get help when you need it.
5. Get to know your professors.
Getting to know your professors at GCU is much easier than at other universities since the class sizes are small. However, your professor might still have hundreds of students and it could be hard to remember everyone. Make yourself noticeable by asking questions before or after class, or visiting their office hours. Professors tend to be much more flexible when they know you. Frequenting your professor’s office hours might be the difference between a pass or fail at the end of the semester.
6. You are expected to do a lot on your own.
You will hear at some point in your academic journey a professor claim that they are not a teacher but a learning facilitator. In other words, you are expected to teach yourself before lecture so that the professor will only build onto what you already know. Yes, it does seem ridiculous, but nonetheless you are still expected to do a lot of reading before your lectures. Don’t get behind on the readings because it will take a toll when exams arrive.
7. You will have to re-learn how to study.
Your study habits from high school will just not cut it. Cramming information the night before will also not work for the class levels you will be taking. Be careful not to get carried away with the campus life and make sure that you are trying different study approaches to learn what works best for you. When you get to the harder classes later on in your major, the extra time you spent figuring out how you learn best will pay out.
8. Allow yourself breaks.
Studying is important, but so is your health. Be critical enough not to procrastinate, but not so hard on yourself that you end up harming your health. Sleeping is very important even for learning itself, as sleep deprivation impairs learning and memory. Naps are friends! There is no shame in taking a quick nap in between classes.
9. Join at least one club!
GCU has a wide variety of clubs and organizations, so you are bound to find one that you belong in – or many! Participating in clubs will allow you to make friends, gain experience in an abundance of fields, and enjoy the student life to the fullest.
10. Take advantage of the university’s resources.
The price of attendance at all universities has skyrocketed throughout the years, and the vast amenities we get are to blame. Universities spend a lot of money providing a good college experience, but many students don’t use all of the resources provided. One of the most important resource many students forget is the free tutoring. Whether you are having difficulties understanding a subject, a lab report, need help starting a project or studying for an exam, schedule a section with a tutor. There are also multiple other ways to get help on campus. For instance, if you can’t make it to your professor’s office hours, you can go to the Instructor Assistant’s (IA) office hours. The help is there, you just need to reach out for it.
Just remember that your experience will be what you make of it. Good luck with classes, welcome to the herd, and ‘Lopes UP!
