With the semester and year coming to an unfortunate end, I’ve been forced to think about what I’ve learned as a freshman at UConn. While I may not be able to tell you what I learned in class this year, I’m fairly confident that I have become a master at being a UConn student. Here’s some pro-tips that will help any incoming freshman make a smooth transition to Storrs.
1. Planners are your best friend.
It’s very likely that your high school teachers made announcements whenever there was a quiz, test, paper due, etc. In college, your professor will give you a syllabus the first day of class with all of the important dates for the course and then never speak of it again. Writing down all of your important dates in a planner will allow you to have sufficient time to study for exams and complete assignments. No stress.
2. Gen Eds can and should be interesting.
Lots of college freshman expect to be taking classes solely in their major as soon as they get to school. However, this is rarely true because of university general education requirements – most of the time major-specific classes won’t begin until sophomore year. *This isn’t as bad as it seems!* There are lots of classes that you would never get to take without these requirements, so explore the catalog and find classes that interest you. Studying definitely will not seem so overwhelming if you like what you’re studying.
3. Sleep well. Sleep a lot. Just sleep.
If you were someone who went to bed at 1 or 2 AM and then made it to school by 7:30 in high school, congratulations. That won’t work in college. I don’t know *why* but college is so much more tiring than high school. Because of that, sleep is really important! Naps are gucci but can leave you groggy and can take time out of your jam-packed day. Your best bet is to get a good night’s sleep, wake up in the morning and kick a**.
4. Be your own mother and doctor.
No matter how “healthy” you [think you] are, getting sick in college is inevitable. Take care of yourself! No assignment deadline, party, or event is more important than your own health. And if you happen to get sick, don’t wait to go to the infirmary on campus or local doctor. The quicker you get diagnosed, the quicker the recovery.
5. Steal from dining halls.
I’m honestly not positive that this is allowed/legal but my friends and I have taken so many boxes of cereal from various d-halls around campus – and you should too. (A more realistic option is to take a piece of fruit or an ice cream cone but hey, a girl’s gotta eat.)
6. Points are holy.
This hits very close to my heart and is also food-related. Once you arrive at UConn you’ll learn what points are and how precious they are. First, get 500 points if you can. Most people just blow through them but if you literally divide your total points by the weeks in the semester, you’ll be able to eat mac-n-cheese, taco salads, smoothies and milkshakes while all your friends are eating ramen and wishing they were you.
7. Beware of anything with wheels.
Bikers, skateboarders, moped-riders, hover-boarders, scooter-riders and even unicyclers are ruthless in Storrs. Don’t be alarmed the first time one of these fiends whiz by you on one of their wheeled methods of transportation. Just stay out of the danger zone and you should be safe.
8. Laptop stickers are a thing.
You’re pretty much a nobody if you’re not repping mad Redbubble on your computer.
9. Storrs is either -10° or 85°.
When you arrive in the fall it is sweltering hot. Before you even go home for Thanksgiving it is freezing cold. Spring semester is a cruel game between you and the wind. Coming back from spring break does not mean it’s spring weather. Essentially: wear layers, invest in fans and always look at the “Feels Like” temp when you check the Weather app.
10. Rain is an actual enemy.
For some reason it rains almost every Tuesday at UConn. Unlike high school, you can’t hide out in one cozy building all day so be prepared with an umbrella and rain gear. There is not much worse than sitting through a 50 minute 8 AM lecture in TLS wearing soaking wet clothing (which I did once). Same thing goes for snow. Invest in snow boots, the sturdy kind. They may not have been acceptable in high school, but in college they’ll keep you from falling on your ass every 5 minutes when walking to class in the snow.
11. Friday and Saturday nights are not for studying.
…at least not for studying in your dorm. Everyone gets overwhelmed with work sometimes and studying at night on the weekends may become necessary. If you have to do this, go to the library, Starbucks, or somewhere quiet. On the weekends everyone is always loud and rambunctious and if you’re the mom of your friend group (like myself) you are going to end up doing things for your friends all night instead of getting your work done.
12. Join stuff.
This is the most important tip for having a successful semester! Depending on the difficulty of your freshman-year classes, keeping yourself busy is a must. Join a club or organization doing something that interests you. It’s the only way to branch out, enjoy things you love and meet friends – which you will need to keep you sane in your first semester away from home.
I think most rising sophomores would agree that these are the essentials of acing your first year at UConn. With these tips, hopefully we can all return in the fall well-rested, recharged and ready to welcome the incoming freshman to the greatest school in the nation!