This one’s for all you first-years! As the start of the school year approaches, we at Her Campus UCLA wanted to outline some key tips for starting your freshman year of college. It’s an exciting time as you transition, but we are here to help.
1. Pack light: Whether you’re from out of state or just across town, it can be tempting to bring your entire wardrobe, extensive seashell collection and giant photo album. Remember that your dorm room is going to be a tight squeeze and you are definitely going to be gathering more things throughout the year. Keep it simple at first, and you can always get more belongings at Thanksgiving break or at the local Target if you desperately need more trinkets or necessities.
2. Calm down: By now, many new students have attended orientation and have chosen their courses. First-years can find orientation very intimidating and stressful, especially when it comes to planning classes and learning what life will hold. But fear not – choosing classes gets so much easier as you continue through college and gain experience. One quarter of non-vital classes won’t ruin your life, and you might find a subject you never expected to like, but do. The point: Don’t stress about your first quarter class choices or much else for that matter. Whatever you are worried about not knowing about college life, you will soon learn. No one expects a new college student to have every life hack down. Ask questions!
3. Find friends: You’ve probably heard this a million times, but you will absolutely find someone likeminded in college. There are so many people from all over the country and world who are all yearning to meet new people. You can meet friends in your dorm hall, in the dining halls or at school spirit events around campus. It’s difficult meeting people in big lectures, so definitely join some clubs to make friends that way. Which brings us to the next item…
4. Join clubs: There are huge activities fairs with displays from many groups on campus. They will welcome new members the first weeks of school, and it’s a great way to gain skills and connections. Some organizations do require you to submit applications, so make sure to set time aside from your studies to work on those because it can be competitive. However, there are so many groups that you will definitely find someone with the same interest as you.
5. Explore the city: Bruins will find themselves in the heart of Westwood – the college town complete with two movie theaters, In-N-Out and lots of other chains. On a bigger scale, we’re also (obviously) in Los Angeles. It’s a great idea for first-years to scope out and explore Los Angeles – why travel all this way to sit in a dorm room all day? Maybe schedule one Saturday every once and a while to grab some local food or visit the beach in Santa Monica. It can be tempting to just stay on campus in your free time, sleeping or studying or Netflixing, but try to take advantage of the backdrop beyond campus.