It’s your first year of college, and you feel like you’re in a whole new world (Aladdin-style). I’m sure you’re excited, but also kind of overwhelmed by the culture shock. This is COMPLETELY NORMAL! I guarantee almost every other freshman is feeling a little nervous too. But don’t worry; the next four years will probably be some of the best of your life. You’ll meet amazing new friends, learn how to adult, and (hopefully) learn how to balance school, social life, and still get more than 4 hours of sleep a night. Here are some tips to help you survive the first year of your new adventure!
1. Work out!
Alcohol + the max food=instant freshman 15. The Wellness Center has tons of fun, free classes like yoga, spin, ab blasters, and more! Chances are you can find something that’s fun. And you might just meet a friend or two while you’re there!
2. Don’t party every night.
Though it’s tempting to take advantage of being out from under your parents’ watch, partying every night will take a toll on your grades, health, and well being. Save it for the weekend, or a couple nights a week. You’ll thank yourself later.
3. Stay on top of your classes from day one.
The “easy” beginning stuff will help boost your grade more than you think. Most professors will ignore hail-mary emails at the end of the semester, since they expect you to put in your best effort from the beginning. Establishing good study habits your freshman year will benefit you as classes just get increasingly harder each year.
4. Talk to lots of people.
You never know who may become your best friend for the next four years. You may meet your college best friend in the most unexpected place, so don’t just talk to people you know from high school or who live on your hall. Give everyone a chance!
5. Stay organized!
Check GeorgiaView and your Bobcats email AT LEAST once a day. Professors will post class location changes, cancellations, and assignments on there, and if you don’t see it, you could miss something important.
6. Find your own study niche.
There are more place to hit the books than just the library. Seek out your own place that not everyone knows about!
7. Get to know your professors!
Make an effort to personally introduce yourself to all your professors at the beginning of the year. If they can put a name to a face, they’re more likely to help you out throughout the semester and they can probably hook you up with valuable opportunities to build your resume/find a job after graduation!
8. Get involved!
There are dozens of organizations on campus (including Her Campus GCSU), so chances are there’s something that will align with your interests. What better way to make new friends than by meeting people with at least one similar interest as you? Whether it’s a volunteer organization like GCSU Shelter Buddies, a health club like GCSU Prowlers, or something that matches your major like Marketing and Advertising Club, there are plenty of ways to meet new people and build connections. Plus, if you can take on a leadership role, your resume will be much richer!
9. Study.
If you were one of those people who didn’t have to study a lot in high school, don’t expect to get away with that in college! The material is much more in-depth, and covered at a much quicker pace. For most classes, it takes a lot of out-of-class work to make good grades. And don’t expect to make up for a semester of slacking a week or two before finals-professors have no sympathy for students who didn’t put in the work all semester!
10. Don’t sweat declaring a major.
It’s okay not to have it all figured out right away. About 80% of college students switch majors at least one time, so don’t worry about picking the perfect one freshman year. Some students even wait a year to declare, so that they don’t take unnecessary classes. Take some time to explore a few different fields before settling on one major. After all, this is probably what you’ll be doing the rest of your life!
11. Talk to people in your classes.
Study groups are invaluable tools, especially in particularly difficult classes. Start a GroupMe with a few people in class so you can share study guides, notes, and other class-related info. And if you have to miss a class, having someone who can share their notes with you will be extremely helpful.
12. Create a budget.
College is expensive, and it’s easy to let money slip through your fingers (especially when Barbs is so irresistible ). Between going out, eating out, books, class supplies, and all the hidden college expenses, your money can be gone before you know it. Setting a budget will help you balance everything and not feel stressed about finances.
13. Take some time for yourself!
The responsibilities of college can be overwhelming, so don’t feel bad about taking a daily nap, watching an hour or two of Netflix, or treating yourself to a pool day. You’ll feel refreshed and ready to take on that next study session afterwards!