The start of the semester is here and it can be exciting and nerve-racking all at the same time to live on your own and experience college! Between getting used to classes and making new friends, it can be a tad overwhelming. Don’t worry because we have 10 things to focus on your first month at school to ensure a positive semester!
- Learn your class schedule
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Take some time to put all of your classes and locations into Google Calendar, your planner, or whatever you use. When professors start taking attendance you don’t want to be late because you mixed up the times!
- Learn the bus routes
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This can be confusing to learn and might seem pointless when you can easily walk from your dorm to your classes. You may get sick and need to get to the health center, you may want to go to workout at Ramsey Student Center, or take a walk around Lake Herrick. Knowing how to get there on the bus will save time and energy. Download the UGA app for live updates of the buses as well as route lists.
- Establish roommate guidelines
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You may be rooming with your best friend from high school. Sounds like fun right? Well, maybe not when you are trying to sleep before your 8 AM and your roommate/friend has the light on and is blasting her music. Living with someone you know or a stranger can be a simpler process if you take the time to establish guidelines from the beginning.
- Put all the dates in your calendar
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You will get syllabus after syllabus for your classes and each will have a calendar full of assignments, readings, and exams that you NEED to know about. Professors won’t feel bad if you miss an assignment that was in the syllabus. Put those dates in your calendar and color code the assignment to match the class. This will also prevent you from scheduling a vacation or doctor’s appointment during a mandatory exam.
- Take note of your final exams
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This might seem premature, but these dates are SET and rarely ever change. There are only certain circumstances that will allow you to move or make up the exam. Most of the time these 3 hour time blocks might be at a different time than your class so be sure you aren’t scheduling your flight back home when you have a mandatory final exam from 7-10 pm on a Friday night.
- Meet at least one person in each of your classes
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Not saying you have to be BFFs, but in case you ever have to miss class or want to study for a test, it helps to know someone in that class. Start by getting to know the people that sit next to you.
- Know the grading scale of every class
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Some classes use the plus/minus scale. Some professors will leave you at an 89.9999999 and not round you up. Check out your syllabus and make sure you prepare for these instances so you can get the grade you desire. Take note of any college-related grading scales: Ex. A C-is failing in the Business Management Major, which isn’t the case in some other classes.
- Call your parents
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They miss you! With all the fun you are having at school it can be tough to remember to call them. Try to find a cadence that works best for you and your parents. Some may call every day while some call every few days, whichever it is, don’t forget about the people back home (especially if they are paying for your schooling!)
- Go to the Planned Activities
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University Union puts on some awesome events for students to have fun and get to know each other. Whether this is your first semester in college ever, your first semester on-campus, your first semester since transferring, or you’ve been here for a while, it doesn’t hurt to go to these free activities and events. It might be more fun than you realize!
- Have Fun, But don’t Forget School
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This first month can be SO MUCH FUN! Don’t forget that you need to pass your classes to continue having that fun in future semesters! Your GPA can really suffer from failing in your first year and can extend your college career if you don’t have the necessary credits. With that being said, have fun, but be smart!
We hope you have a great first month at UGA! Welcome and GO DAWGS!