1) Don’t wear that lanyard they gave you at orientation around your neck.
Seriously, just don’t. I know it’s convenient, but it’s like a big spotlight that screams “I’M A FRESHMAN!” Get something to carry your ID in and keep it somewhere safe that isn’t around your neck.
2) Don’t live with your friends from high school.
It’s tempting to ask a friend from your high school to be your roommate your freshman year. You’re going to be experiencing a lot of change and having someone familiar to live with seems like a good idea. First of all, living with someone is a completely different ball game and you could (and quite possibly will) end up hating that friend from high school, which is always awkward. But more importantly, college is all about meeting new people. Branch out and get to know a completely random stranger! You might find your new best friend or someone who is the perfect roommate that you can live with for the years to come….or maybe not… Either way, don’t miss out on having a roommate you don’t know freshman year. It’s worth it, I promise.
3) Get to know your neighbors and do it ASAP.
Not only do you have the opportunity to make friends that are conveniently placed right next to you on either side, this will also come in handy when they’re playing loud music at 2 AM and you’re trying to sleep before a big test. It’s a lot easier to go knock on a friend’s door and ask them to turn the music down than it is to knock on a complete stranger’s door and yell at them. Once again, branch out and broaden your horizons. Maybe your neighbor is a potential roommate for next year if this one doesn’t work out or your new best friend!
4) Go to all programs that happen in your building for at least the first semester.
The RAs in your building plan programs that are meant to help you meet people. This is the easiest way to get to know everyone in your building. It’s also a great way to earn brownie points with your RAs and you never know when that could come in handy. Take your roommate or neighbor and go, it’ll be fun.
5) Join any and all clubs that intrigue you, even if you have no experience with the subject.
College is the perfect time to find different things that interest you. Who cares if someone might think it’s weird that you joined the club fencing team? You want to do it? GO DO IT. Your freshman year is the only year when you’re free to do whatever you want to without giving a thought to how it helps your resume. Take advantage of that time.
6) GO TO CLASS. Every. Single. Class.
You’re actually paying for your education now. I know there’s no one holding your hand and forcing you to go to school every day, but you need to do it. You’re paying a pretty penny for each and every day of class, don’t let that money go to waste. If you’re tired, the walk to class will wake you up. If you didn’t do your homework, you might as well go and figure out what the next assignment is so you can get back on track.You’re paying your professors to help you learn, take advantage of the opportunity to gain knowledge every day.
7) Go visit your professors during their office hours.
You don’t have to be having trouble with their class to go talk to them. If they said something in class that you thought was interesting or that you want to know more about, go ahead and stop in. The university requires them to sit in their offices for a set amount of hours every week and most students don’t take advantage of that. It never hurts for your professor to know who you are on a personal level. You never know when you might need a letter of recommendation, when you could find a mentor for your future endeavors, or what kind of fantastic conversations could come from a simple visit. Also, if you are having trouble in a class, go visit your professor early. They want to help you succeed! Office hours are a great time to get help on a subject you’re really struggling with, and the professor will appreciate the fact that you’re taking their class seriously.
8) Go to the library to study.
It’s tempting and easier to stay in your room and study on your bed. However, your bed should really only be used for sleeping and lounging. If you let yourself do homework in your bed, you’re going to have a hard time falling asleep when you want to, and sleep is precious. You’ll also find that you’re much more productive in the library anyway. There’s just something about being surrounded by fellow students being productive that puts you in the mood to do work. If you just bite the bullet and go to the library to get things done, you’ll find you have more time on your hands. Make it a habit and you won’t regret it.
9) Don’t procrastinate!
If you can start working on something earlier than the night before it’s due, go for it. I know it feels like you could be doing something more fun, but you’ll thank yourself later in the week if you can sit and watch a few episodes of something on Netflix instead of pulling an all-nighter to get a project done. Sometimes papers and projects take a lot more time to finish than you originally think, so giving yourself a little extra time is never a bad idea.
10) Read for pleasure.
It is so easy to let yourself get so busy you never read for fun anymore (especially if you’re majoring in something in the humanities). College is a lot of incredibly dry, academic reading and you’ll find yourself starting to hate reading at one point or another. If you follow the advice of number 9, you should have enough time at some point in the week to sit down and read a book you enjoy. Don’t lose this time or you may just forget why you ever enjoyed reading in the first place. Thirty minutes here or there can make a big difference in your overall attitude toward reading.
11) Pay attention to the food you’re eating.
It’s easy to grab pizza for lunch and hamburger and French fries for dinner every night of the week at college. Your parents aren’t around to make sure that you’re having a well-rounded meal and it’s more expensive to get fruit or vegetables on your meal plan than it is to get something fried or greasy. That being said, you need to make sure you’re eating a fairly balanced diet. The freshman fifteen at college is no joke! Treat your body right or the effects will become apparent, not just in your physique but in your overall health and well-being. There are healthy recipes, even for those of us who only have a microwave at our disposal.
12) Find a healthy coping mechanism.
College is bound to be one of the most stressful parts of your life, especially when combined with a huge transition like living at home to living on your own. A lot of the residence halls have pool, foosball, or ping pong tables. Find a few friends to play with when you get stressed out. If you don’t like playing any of the table games, try exercising. Join an exercise class, find a yoga studio, or join a club sports team. And if none of those fit you, take advantage of what the town around your college has to offer. If you’re in or near the city, go see a show or wander around and window shop for a while. If you’re in a rural area, find a trail map and go for a hike. No matter what it is you decide to do, find something that works for you and stick with it. If you can identify a healthy coping mechanism early, you’ll be a lot less likely to stress eat or abuse alcohol to get rid of your stress. Referring back to number 11, treating your body right is of utmost importance!
13) Find a solid group of friends
Once again, college can be super stressful. Finding a good group of close friends can be invaluable in helping you cope. It also makes everything you do more fun. Having a group of friends you eat with on a daily basis will ensure that you have a normal eating schedule, and it gives you time to relax and take a break from school for a short time. Find friends who support what you do, even if they don’t understand it. If you’re a math major and all of your friends happen to be English majors, make sure they are supporting you in your aspirations. It doesn’t matter that you don’t have the exact same interests, it matters that you are willing to support each other no matter what you’re all doing. However, more than likely, you’ll end up meeting your friends in a class or at a club you decide to try out, so there will always be a few things that unite you all, no matter what major you’ve all chosen.
14) Give yourself a break day.
Pick a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday and declare that day a homework free day for the year. Although your main goal at college is to earn a degree and do well in school, you need to give yourself time for fun. If you know you have the entire day open to do what you want, you’ll be more likely to be spontaneous and you’ll definitely have time to spend with your friends. College is supposed to be fun, don’t make yourself miserable by cooping yourself up and doing homework all weekend like you’ve been doing all week. Put the books away for a day and enjoy your life, it’ll be worth it, I promise.
15) Don’t let college become one expensive party.
You came to college to learn, not to drink your life away. Don’t waste too much time and money on alcohol. Have fun, but learn to be responsible. (And NEVER let your drink out of your hands!)
16) Don’t freak out if your major is undecided.
It might seem like you’re the only one of your friends who doesn’t know what they want to do, but believe me, even if your friends have a major declared, that will probably change at least once. Save yourself the paperwork and just figure out what you want to major in by your sophomore year. You have a whole year to figure it out. Don’t worry, there are plenty of people on campus who are ready to help you if you need it!
17) Never, ever, ever, EVER buy your textbooks at the student store.
The student store does a great job of marketing to make you think that they’re giving you a good price, but in this new world of technology, they’re not. Get a student account through amazon and take advantage of the prime shipping options. Make sure you need all the books your professors have put on the book list before you buy them. I promise, this will save you lots of money, no matter what you’re majoring in.