1. Making Friends

We all make friends on our floor, or in our dorm building in general, but making friends outside of where your residence hall is important. Establishing relationships aside from your neighbors is vital for a balanced social life. Having your own set of friends allows you to spend time apart from friends you may live with.

To maintain healthy friendships, space is essential; for constantly surrounding yourself with the same group of people can lead to social tension. Another point in the conversation of making friends; joining student organizations that interest you connects you with like-minded individuals that have similar interests.

Yes, college is a place for you to be exposed to a diverse array of mentalities, cultures, and people in general; but there is comfort in acquainting with people who share similar experiences and ideas.

2. Maintaining a Productive Lifestyle

The primary reason we pursue college is to get an education and attend classes, but aside from that, we have no other commitments. Utilizing your time wisely and efficiently is what it means to maintain a productive lifestyle. As students in college, once we are done with schoolwork and homework we have free time.

Why not allow it to something that is intellectually and/or socially fruitful? Having things to do is the best way to not fall behind, for it requires you to schedule your time.

3. Having Something That is Yours

Throughout a college experience, one befriends a plethora of people who participate in a variety of activities. Joining a student organization allows you to have something that is yours, a hobby, activity and/or cause you and only you identify within your group of friends. It provides you with the sensation of individualism, being a unique character and bringing something different to the table.

4. Establishing Yourself As A Member of Your Campus

The categories of having something that is yours and establishing yourself as a member of your campus goes hand in hand. They both address the idea of finding yourself and representing yourself accordingly. But where they vary is in the aspect of who you are doing it for.

Having something that is yours relates to the way it makes you feel to belong to a group, and establishing yourself as a member of your campus is for the purpose of affecting your fellow students. This category falls along the lines of "What can you do for your fellow students/campus/institution/environment?". It is more related to service than personal gratification.

5. Smooth Transition

Last but not least, the compilation of the results addressed below can lead to a smooth transition from home to college. In my experience, transitioning into college-life well is vital for a successful and gratifying first-semester experience.