Honestly coming to college was so exciting I did not even mind being a freshman all over again. There were a few things that I wish I knew prior to starting the year off and honestly I think life would have been so much easier for me if I knew these things. So here are my top five things I wish I knew before starting this year.
- Do not buy books in advance!
-
I know you should come to school prepared, which is great. Come with all the pens, pencils, paper, and laptops that you need. However, do not I repeat DO NOT buy your books in advance for classes. Many of these teachers put on the syllabus that you need a certain book for the class and that is just because the university requires them to do so to take our money. I suggest that you only buy books that require an access code and even before you buy the book in the bookstore as it is often cheaper. Another suggestion is to look for only the access code because that is the most important thing. Many of your assignments will be accessed online using this code.
- Party hard but not too hard!
-
I know you probably heard this a million times. Now make that a million and one. Trust me, I am down for a party and good time however, make sure that work is done. I love getting my assignments done as quickly as possible so it gives me more time during the weekend to kick back and party. Just never wait for the day of the deadline to do an assignment. If you need to, write on your calendar that the deadline is a few days before the actual due date. That way it will be done ahead of time.
- The harder you work in the beginning the less you have to stress at the end.
-
I learned the hard way that the less time and effort you put in at the beginning of the semester the harder you make it on yourself in the end. My first semester was very hard because I slacked off a little. That caused me to have to work twice as hard to make sure I ended the semester off with decent grades. I stressed out a lot but if I would have just worked hard in the beginning of the semester the end of it would not have been so stressful.
- Join clubs that are beneficial to your career/ beneficial to you.
-
Club and organization fairs host interest meetings and promise you a good time. As a freshman, it can be hard to select what club/organization you want to join. I say join clubs that are beneficial to you like those related to your major or a hobby that you enjoy. Also, be careful not to double up because many clubs do similar activities. To make sure that you are as committed as possible, just focus on a few. When you are in many clubs it is easy to lose focus in school. Like they say quality is better than quantity. Lastly, clubs have dues so do not break the bank joining clubs that do not do anything.
- Be open to making friends and meeting new people.
-
NSO week can make forming friend groups easy however, being open with everyone is very beneficial. Nobody likes to admit it but friend groups may fade away which is normal because you can outgrow people. However, when you limit yourself to just being with your friend group you prevent yourself from meeting new people. Stay open!
Freshman year can either be the best or worst year of your college experience so hopefully these tips will help you find your way through it peacefully.