The stress of a new chapter in your life, new friends, new environment, schedule and workload may be hard on you, but consider embracing these tips and tricks to make the first semester of college —
1.Wear comfortable shoes
We all want to be the best dressed on campus, which likely means a #HardNo to chunky walking shoes your grandmother would wear. Invest in some comfortable and stylish shoes that are versatile for dressed up or more casual looks. I spent the first two weeks of college with a different pair of shoes (and a different blister) each day. If you think your campus is not that big and those fancy wedge sandals won’t hurt your feet… think again! Life lesson: always have Band-Aids stashed in your bag.
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2. Carry a comfortable (two-strapped) bag
Unfortunately, that old, heavy-duty backpack won’t pair well with your dainty, off-the-shoulder dress, but your Vera Bradley tote will leave red marks on your shoulder. It’s just a fact of life. Instead of going through several different kinds of bags and purses only to find your arm sore each day, stick to a backpack with two padded straps. Besides, you can show off that cute fit INSIDE the lecture hall instead of while you’re walking to it.
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3. Enjoy your walk to class… and memorize it
It doesn’t matter if your campus is smaller or larger, you’ll probably confuse the many brick buildings for one another and not realize you’re headed the wrong way until you have three minutes left to your first Medieval Poetry class… not that I would know. Google Maps, or even a paper one, is a great resource for finding your way along campus. Since the WiFi is not always reliable and you could lose the map you’ve had since orientation weekend, take a second to look around. While you’re following your map, don’t have your head buried in it. Be mindful of your surroundings and what landmarks or turns you’re taking. Any day you can maneuver campus without getting lost or turned around because of the new construction is probably going to be a good day.
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4. Make a master calendar
You’ll be getting a LOT of syllabi… and while you may technically have all of your important dates at hand, it’s harder to realize the time (or lack of time) between each due date without having a visual calendar. In addition to having an electronic or paper calendar, put your due dates into your phone with alerts a few days or hours before each one. You want to make a responsible first impression to your professors, and forgetting an essay won’t help with that.
Related: Back to School with Erin Condren
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5. Find out about freebies
Okay, you’ve heard this one a lot, but really do take the time to find out about these. Maybe the college or school your major is in has a lounge for its students, which has a free coffee/tea/hot chocolate bar just waiting to be used. Know where to find these freebies so you can ~treat yourself~ to a hot drink every morning without dropping $5 or more each morning. Who knows, a nice (free) cup of joe might be the incentive you need to get out of bed and actually go to your calculus class.
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6. Sign up for emails and follow social media
Yes, emails from different classes and clubs can get annoying, but a lot of times this is the first way students find out about open job opportunities, internships or resume building fairs. Also, on-campus activities are advertised more on social media than through flyers. Even if there are students handing out flyers, you might just be in the wrong place at the wrong time, leaving you to only find out about the event through your friends’ Instagram and Snapchat stories. Know about every event by following different organizations on social media, then add them to your master calendar. Missing out on an activity or a job fair can be a blow to your morale, and you really don’t need that when you have three papers and two quizzes to prepare for.
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7. Be an individual
This is probably the most important lesson and can have the biggest effect on your mindset while you’re in school. Starting college, whether close or away from home, will be expose you to different people and their popular lifestyles. There might be a group of girls who wake up at 6 am every day and focus on studying, or those who wake up later, and seem to slack off, but when you peek at their essays you see A’s on every single one. Don’t copy anyone’s lifestyle hoping to be carefree and cool like them, when you realistically don’t think it will work for you. College is an amazing place to reinvent yourself for the better. You don’t have to copy what you see everyone doing on social media.
Related: The Purge: 5 Reasons You Should Be Cleansing Your Social Media for Your Sanity
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People had advice on what classes to take and what to pack for your dorm, but just because these tips were neglected doesn’t mean they’re not important! These overlooked tricks are the solutions for problems that may seem bigger than they really are, especially in your first few weeks. Save yourself the frustration and heartache, collegiettes!