Being a first-year student means being the new students on campus. Your first year will be full of fun and new experiences, but there are a few things that first-year students do that make upperclassmen cringe/wonder how they were ever a freshman. Do not worry, it is ok to be awkward and a lost puppy your first few semesters, but if you want to know a few things that clearly identify first-year students as their own species, keep reading!
- Wearing your student I.D. on a lanyard around your neck
It is not a bad thing, but it is definitely a clear indicator that you are a freshman.
- Staying in your dorm instead of going out to a campus event
The student activities board consists of students who plan events for the student body. I promise, while it may be overwhelming to go out by yourself to an event, it is worth the experience that you will have. Plus, you might make a friend or two!
- Sitting in the back of the class
I know, everyone does it. It has been embedded into our minds to automatically go to the back of the classroom to get as far away as possible from your professor. Maybe you sit in the back because you do not want to be called on when there is a question posed to the class, but you should not let fear of being called on keep you from your best education. Studies have shown that the further you are from the front of the class, the more likely your grade will suffer.
- Not getting involved with student organizations
Student organizations exist for the sole purpose of finding your community on campus. There are organizations ranging from comic book club all the way to Japanese culture. With more than 300 student organizations at UK you are bound to find some place that you belong!
- Thinking that your professors do not take attendance
When I was in high school I always heard that in college the professors do not care if you come to class and they will not notice if you skip everyday. While some of your professors may not care if you come to class or not, they will definitely know if you have been coming to class or staying home. I have only had one class that did not take attendance and I have been in college for three years. Also, your professors may care more than you think they do, even if it is just concern about why you are not coming to class.
- Thinking that your freshman classes are the most difficult classes you will take
This is very wrong. If anything, your core classes and pre-requisite classes are going to be the easiest classes you will take. I am sure that if you love your major and the subject the classes will be less difficult, but usually the classes only progress in difficulty. There are 500-level classes for a reason and college is no joke when it comes to your education. Bask in the easiness of your first-year classes because when you get into your major requirements you may have a lot more studying to do.
Not that all of the things in this list are bad and there are many more mistakes that first-year students make, but as you get through your first few semesters you start to learn from these mistakes and better yourself as a college student. Do not let this list discourage you from wearing your typical first-year student identifier (student I.D. lanyard), but if you were planning on skipping that 8a.m. more than twice then you may want to reconsider. Your professor may not always be as lenient as you want them to be, after all, they are not your parents.