Hello, all you lovely people and welcome to a new journey and the next chapter of your life. College is going to be what you make it out to be. It is a chance to reinvent yourself (or not”), and definitely to be the best version of yourself there is. Here are three “short and sweet”, but important tips for the new freshman and transfer students entering a new chapter in their lives
Tip # 1- Try out everything.
Freshman year is the perfect time to try everything out, new or old to you. Definitely do not limit yourself into trying out new things. This is the perfect way to meet people and make lifelong friendships possible This is also the perfect time for mistakes and eventually, you will know which club or organization is perfect for you. This could definitely help with your professional and personal life. So try out every single organization and club even if you think it might not be for you, just try because sometimes the things we think are not for us ends up being the perfect one.
Tip #2- Go To Office Hours
I know meeting professors and teachers can be scary, unlike your high school teachers, but this is very important. It helps greatly interacting with your professor and establishing a relationship with them. It will help with letters of recommendation and you never know, you might end up with a great mentor and friendship beyond college. They can guide you in choosing grad schools or job opportunities. It is never too late to set up connections. To make it less scary in the beginning ask a question about the lecture and slowly get to know them.
Tip #3- Research
Research future graduate schools and professional schools such as medical school or law school so that you can plan out your years at college perfectly. If you have a dream school to get into, research about that school and know what they want and plan accordingly. It is always better to have a plan in handy than last-minute procrastination. Trust me, I learned that the hard way. For instance, I am in my senior year and I need to start applying soon for either grad schools or medical schools and each school has different requirements and right now I am trying to catch up with them all and doing the necessary requirements such as taking the GRE or MCAT. It adds a lot of unnecessary stress so it is better to not leave things to the last minute. (Add YOUR experience in here a bit for reference) This way if you have a plan from the beginning you do not have to stress as much near the end of college. It is always good to have a guide or outline, but do not worry if everything does not go according to the plan.
Tip #4- Enjoy
Last but not least, go with the flow and really enjoy college, because you are never going to get this part of your life back. Don’t spend all your time in the dorm, go outside, and make memories (following pandemic guidelines), because ultimately much later in life is when you will look back and reflect on everything that happened so far. So fill it up with memories and joy because college truly is the time to make mistakes and learn and be the best version of yourself.