So it’s move-in time for a lot of freshmen. For some people, that means the start of an adventure and for others, it’s a scary time. But for everyone, it’s the start of a new chapter and sometimes it can take a little bit of pushing to get through the first couple of pages. Here’s a few tips to help ease any freshman into college.
Establish a relationship with your roommate
You don’t have to be best friends with your roommate, but your relationship with them can make or break your first semester at college. It sucks to have a bad roommate and sometimes there’s nothing you can do when they refuse to cooperate. But when you get in the room, be the first to initiate. Introduce yourself, start a conversation, and within the first few days, set some ground rules. Talk about bed time, cleaning habits, sharing of space, etc. Even if you don’t become friends, you’ll be helping yourself out by establishing an open communication which can help you solve problems down the line.
Find your classes before the first Day
Take time to locate all of your classes. Don’t try to find them on the first day, because you’ll just end up being late, embarrassed, and stressed out. So take a walk around campus and find all of your classes, maybe even make a point of meeting your professors if they’re around. You’ll feel a lot more comfortable on the first day if you know where everything is.
Keep in contact with your family
Some people are more independent than others and there’s nothing wrong with calling your parents after the first day to talk to them. But even if you are more independent, you should still make a point of calling your parents periodically. I’ve found that it’s helpful to have a set schedule for calling your family. They know when to expect you and you won’t forget to call. For me, I like to call my parents on Sunday afternoon. Plus, you’ll find that it’s better talking to your family periodically so you can keep in contact rather than have to call them with an emergency regarding people and places they know nothing about.
Start assignments the day you get them
You don’t have to finish a paper or project two weeks before its due but you’ll often find that professors mean for you to use the amount of time they give you. Often, professors assign readings that take more than an hour or two to finish so it’s better if you get it started the day you get it rather than wake up an hour before class to find that you have 80 pages to read. Plus, if you can keep yourself from procrastinating, you’ll save yourself some sleep.
Don’t worry if it takes time
No one moves at the same pace and its okay if it takes you some time to adjust. You may hit it off with your roommate, you might love all your classes, and you might be happy living on your own schedule. But it takes time to establish deep relationships and its hard living on your own when you’re doing it for the first time. So don’t worry if your college doesn’t feel like home after the first two weeks.
And good luck!
