so i finished my first year of college last month and thought iâd share things i learned and advice on entering and starting your first yearÂ
take advantage of student id discounts
try to go to class as much as possible
in cases that you donât go, make sure you have a friend, or at least someone who will fill you in and give you notes, in each class
network as soon as you can and as often as you can
wait a week or two until you purchase your textbooks, people arenât lying to you, theyâre expensive as fuuuccckkk, youâll want to wait for multiple reasons because in some cases you never even end up using the book, or your library has it and you can just borrow it for free
wear flip flops in the shower if you donât have your own bathroom
speaking of, go to the bathroom before class
take advantage of as many opportunities that come your way as possible
have a very, very open mind
watch your friendâs drinks too
never, ever, ever, ever, ever, under ANY circumstances, drive while intoxicated or get into a car with a driver who isÂ
get to know your professors
do the extra credit, itâs rare
if you take your laptop with you somewhere bring your charger as well
take the stairs, seriously, a little goes a long way
99.9999% of people donât give a shit about what you were in high school
try to plan and work ahead
never travel alone late at night
donât hesitate to ask for helpâmaterial that took a week to learn in high school can be taught in one lecture in a college class, no one will slow down for you or help you unless you speak up
again, talk to your professors, itâs good to in general, and you never know how they can help you outside of class
if you have a problem with your roommate, if youâre not getting along with them, or itâs not working, do something about it ASAP
keep in touch with those you care about, donât burn bridges
itâs ok if you donât make friends immediately, it took me awhile to find people i could truly be satisfied with, sometimes it happens when youâre not looking
take this to heart: do things you wouldnât ordinarily do before. the best things i did this past school year were things i never tried in high school, going on trips with people i didnât know, who i now call some of the closest friends i have, and going on service work trips out of state
build up your gpa in the beginning by taking classes that are not as tough in your first semester, a gpa is harder to bring up than to knock down, tldr; start strong, start easy
grades matter, BUT, donât sacrifice your health and well being for them
get enough sleep, you can, i did
donât base your decisions off what other people would think but if something goes against your morals, stick with your morals
take care of yourself and your body, just because itâs free does not mean you have to eat it, college is the perfect time to make your physical health crash and burn but it is also the perfect time to start having a healthier one
take the time to check over assignments youâre submitting
ratemyprofessor.com is your bff, use it and reference it
sign up for a variety of activities and test out the water to see what you like most
early classes are not that bad
know whatâs going on on campus, donât be clueless in your own environment
get involved in clubs and groups that are associated with your majorâŚbut also stuff that isnât
and if a group/organization thatâs associated with your major, like for me PRSSA, has a membership fee, itâs probably worth it
explore your city, campus, downtownâŚ.
try to get an internship before itâs required
always keep an umbrella and a phone charger on hand
make friends with as many people as you can, but donât âcollectâ friends, ya know?
go to job fairs/career fairs
itâs ok to stay in sometimes and just j chill
decorate and personalize your room
when preparing to register for classes, make a mock schedule first
first impressions are a big fucking deal
you donât have to put on a ball gown, but put an effort into the way you represent yourself