College is one of the best times of your life; we look forward to it years before it’s even here. Here are a few tips for all the incoming freshman on how to survive your first year of school!
1. Your One Card is Your Life
Your One Card is one of the most important items for you to keep track of. It allows you to eat on campus, get into your dorm, and have access to all the free amenities that your campus offers. I’m not saying wear it around your neck everywhere you go per se…but knowing where it is at all times is critical. Plus, if you lose it, you have to pay for another, and paying for anything in college is a struggle.
Photo courtesy of uncw.edu.
2. The Freshman Fifteen Is Real
One of the most exciting things about going to college is the fact that you can do whatever you want, whenever you want. You can eat ice cream for breakfast and no one will yell at you for it. While this is every teenagers dream (well at least it was mine), it can sometimes come back to bite you in the rear. The dining hall doesn’t always have the greatest food, but choosing some of the healthier items is important in keeping you healthy in school. The on-campus gym is also a super resourceful amenity for staying healthy and fit.
Photo courtesy of Galveston.com.
3. Never Lose Your Dorm Key
If I had a dollar for every time I locked myself out of my room or just simply lost my key, I could just about pay my college tuition on my own. Similar to your one card, your dorm key is something to keep a hold of. Invest in a key chain; I promise it will be worth it!
Photo courtesy of Linus Bohman.
4. The Library Is Your Friend
While some of you may have never utilized your school library in high school, now is the time to do so. It is the perfect place to catch up on some weekly reading, cram in a study session, or to work on homework in between your classes. Most importantly, it’s a great place to get some peace and quiet when your roommate throws a pregame in your tiny room the night before you have an exam. Come finals week, you’ll probably even spend a few all-nighters in the library.
Photo courtesy of Stewart Butterfield.
5. Plot Twist: Textbooks Are EXPENSIVE
Welcome to college, where you have to physically buy every single textbook for your class and every single one seems to break the bank. College is expensive, and Amazon is your friend. Before each semester begins, look up what books you’ll need for each class. Most of the time you can find them for WAY cheap online as opposed to emptying your piggy bank at the bookstore. While, unfortunately, some books can only be found at the bookstore, you can often times sell them back at the end of the semester!
Photo courtesy of Horia Varlan.
6. Take Advantage of FREE Tutors
Your campus gives you access to super helpful math tutors and writing aids that in the real world you would have to pay for. These tutors are there to help you when calculus seems impossible and that paper you have due next week isn’t writing itself. I’ve always been a strong believer in help from others, so I always try to utilize these resources as best I can!
Photo courtesy of Steven S.