As a freshman, the idea of going to college was a scary concept. I was afraid of being away from most of my friends and family, moving in with a roommate I had never met, and living independently for the first time. “Adulting” was a new term for me; one that had never been described with much positivity. Everyone seemed to view the transition from acting like a teenager to an adult as a negative thing. After starting at ASU, I wanted to learn how to balance adulting with everything else in my life in order to make college a positive experience.
I discovered that ASU actually has “ASU Adulting 101” that gives a multitude of advice on a variety of topics to new students, like me. You can visit their website here, subscribe to their newsletter, or connect with experts for tips in the following sections: career, study, wellness, living, and money.
With a global pandemic, I found it more difficult to connect with older students for advice. However, ASU Adulting 101 has an “Advice Issue” in which ASU’s chatbot, Sunny, asked upper division students to send advice that they wanted to share with new students. They received more than 1,000 insider tips on adapting to and succeeding in college, and compiled the best.
Here are my top takeaways that helped me most:
- How to be successful in class
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“Keep up on lectures. Take notes and rewrite them if it helps information stick. Make sure you understand the lecture before a new one begins. Also, don’t be afraid of tutoring. Sometimes that is the difference between a letter grade.”
“Read the lecture material before class. That way, it’s not your first time seeing the material and you’ll have a better understanding of what you know. It will save your grades!”
“Especially during online classes, it’s really important to learn personal responsibility! Professors are there to help you, but they won’t know how unless you tell them. There are TAs, online tutoring and other resources for you to succeed. Find ways to organize your schedule and make time for what you find important.”
- Getting Involved and Making Friends
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“Getting involved on campus will completely change your college experience! Making friends in your classes or in clubs can also help with your academics. The person next to you is probably also looking to meet new people, so don’t be afraid to put yourself out there!
“Don’t be afraid to say ‘hi’ to that one person that is in a lot of your classes, because you’re the same major! They could become your best friend that you take every class with for the next four years.”
“Make sure you have a good friend group that you can fall back on. And don’t be afraid to find others if that one doesn’t work out. There’s a whole lot of people at the school, so keep grinding and you’ll find your clique.”
- Time Management
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“It’s very easy to procrastinate, but it’s also very easy to get things done a little bit at a time and succeed. Look at your syllabus and make yourself a calendar with all the big dates. For big projects, set yourself smaller goals to make it seem more manageable.”“Staying on top of things is crucial. Having a planner is a great tool to make this happen. Planning out your day with realistic time slots, including breaks and meal times, is a very viable way to make sure that all assignments, quizzes, tests, etc. are completed by their due dates.”
“With most classes online, it can be difficult to find the motivation to study. I try to never do homework or attend class in my bed, and make sure I have a detailed list of everything I need to turn in for the week so I don’t accidentally miss a deadline.”
Those were just my top three takeaways from the Advice Issue, but you can check out ASU Adulting 101 for advice on topics like mental health, self-care, making connections, and more. Or, you can send your own questions, suggestions, or advice about college by emailing ASUadulting101@asu.edu or DMing them @ASUAdulting101.
Overall, I have found that engaging in class, doing my best, asking questions, making friends with like-minded people, and finding and sticking to ways that help me manage my time has helped me have a great college experience so far.