As a college freshmen, this semester was filled with twists and turns as I navigated classes and a new campus. Besides absorbing exorbitant amounts of information, I also absorbed some tips that I think really helped me get through this semester, and here are 3 of them!
- Know Your Limits
I had 8 AMs 3 days out of this semester and late afternoon classes till 5 PM 2 days of the week. All in all, it was a long and tiring first semester. I picked a lot of these classes because I thought that I would be able to do them just like I did in high school. Don’t rely on who you were in high school because the circumstances were super different back then; you had parents and so many other factors keeping you accountable. Find the schedule that works for you and won’t burden you too hard. Safe to say, I will no longer be doing anymore late afternoon classes.
- Meet with that Professor
I was lucky enough that my English classes were small, and my professor made it a requirement to meet with him before certain large papers and assignments were due. These meetings were really helpful because they not only allowed me to get some really valuable feedback, but they also helped me establish a good relationship with my professor. After a few meetings, he was always happy to give me extensions when I needed them and even empathize with my situation as someone studying two drastically different tracks of study.
- Branching Out
I found that college would’ve been a lot harder if I hadn’t joined an organization or gotten comfortable with my roommates and classmates. Her Campus became an arena for me to express my creativity and write something fun when school was getting too stressful. Some of my favorite memories from this year have been made because of fun antics that my roommates and I have gotten into as well as funny conversations in the GroupMe’s for my hardest classes. It can be hard to talk to others and branch out from your high school friend group that may or may not have traveled to college with you, but just talking to that one person can truly spark a new, perhaps lifelong friendship.