college seems like a pretty intimidating place especially if youāre going out of town or out of state for it, but donāt worry! you got this! hereās some advice for all of those entering college:
1. schedule your classes wisely
if you werenāt an early riser before, you wonāt be one now. my first semester, i had my classes start at 10am and my second semester at 8am. i was a lot more prone to skip my 8am because i was so tired from the night before. honestly, my grades reflected in those classes as well (although the classes with american government and american history respectively, i did significantly worse in my history class). find a time when you know you wonāt skip and will be able to full concentrate on the subject.Ā
2. join organizations!Ā
i know at freshman orientation youāre bombarded with every fraternity/sorority/other organization but itās for good reason! of course, you want to do well your freshman year academically, but you have to make sure you find time for fun. organizations are key to making more connections and friendships. thereās such a variety of organizations that there has to be one fit for you (academics, sports, art, music, student body/government,etc.)! i joined a dance organization my freshman year (since i was interested in dance before) and i can say that iāve made everlasting friendships just from that group. go to the organizationās first meeting and if it doesnāt peek your interest then you donāt have to show up for the next one lol.Ā
3. sit in the front for lectures
i was (probably still am) a student that lurked in the last row of the classroom playing tetris on her laptop. sitting in the back makes you more susceptible to getting distracted while in class. the professor has your attention for only 1-2 hours; the least you could do is pay attention. (if youāre not comfortable sitting in the front, then sit in the middle!)Ā
4. do the readings/assignments as quickly as possible
i cannot tell you guys how many all-nighters i pulled throughout my freshman year simply due to procrastination. you donāt have to knock out the assignment all at once, but do a little everyday. if it helps, make a to-do list of your tasks. for me i separate my tasks by the classes that day (monday-wednesday-friday and tuesday-thursday) and even if i donāt finish whatever it is at the end of the day, iāll at least do something.Ā
5. do NOT buy your textbooks!!!
I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH! textbooks are so expensive and if itās not necessary to buy the textbook(s) for that class, DONāT. if you do, there are always cheaper alternatives. if you have to get a textbook, iād say rent a used textbook rather than buy a new one. all the textbooks that i have rented werenāt in bad condition and it saved me a crap ton of money in the end. you can rent textbooks from your off campus bookstore (if your university provides one) or off of amazon! if amazon doesnāt have the correct edition, just make sure with your professor if itās okay to use that version (if not then make a new friend in the class who has one and share. yay friendship!!)
