1. Find a study spot
There are so many more places to study than the library and study lounges. There are secret little nooks and crannies everywhere with couches and big comfy chairs to lounge on while you study.
2. Join the email list for anything that piques your interest
3. If it interests you, try it out. It's totally okay to decide later that you don't want to join the organization or club.
It's totally okay to show up just for that free veggie pizza that was promised in email. We're all in college. We all feel that.
4. Learn your campus!
You probably got a map at orientation. Keep that. Save a picture of your class schedule that includes buildings and room numbers on your phone. If you're particularly worried about finding your classes, during your down time during orientation, wander campus and figure out where the rooms are, and the best way to get there.
5. Google Calendar is your friend.
Even better than taking a picture of your schedule, use your gcal to keep yourself organized and get reminders. Use gcal to make appointments with your professors and advisors, or to arrange meetings with other people.
5. Read your emails. Check your emails more often than you check your texts, okay?
Better yet, connect your emails to your phone, so that they pop up in your notifications like texts do. Some professors communicate exclusively via email. This can save you walking across campus to the science building at 8 am mid January only to find out that class has been canceled for the day.
It's also very helpful for when there are free cookies or plants in the student center, or when someone is setting up a huge game of Frisbee on the quad.
6. Campus security is your friend. They are nice people if you are nice to them.
7. Work on campus.
It's not a big commitment. It's not even part-time. You get some extra cash, learn some skills, bolster your resume, and, most importantly, you get to meet a lot of cool people.
Along with that, work for an office if you can (or want). You get to know the campus and the people who run it (like department heads, deans, secretaries) a lot better.
8. Ask questions.
There are so many people on campus whose job is to literally answer your questions. If they don’t know, they’ll direct you to someone who does, or find out and get back to you.
9. Take vitamins, drink orange juice, WASH YOUR HANDS.
Nothing, and I mean NOTHING is as horrible as getting strep throat your second week of freshman year. Save yourself the trouble and keep your immune system happy. Being in college means a lot of new germs that your body is not used to.
10. Realize that your life is different than last year. Some days are going to be great, and some days won't.
Some days you wake up seven minutes before class and show up in your pajamas. Some days you’ll wake up early enough to go eat breakfast, work out, take a shower, and do your hair before class. Either way, you do you.
