If you could do something over with the knowledge you have now, would you? If I could magically turn back time, I would most definitely pick my first year of college as the time and place to be transported to. Without a doubt, collegiettes, freshman year has the potential to be one of the most amazing years of your life. However, be prepared to be faced with new situations that you may not know how to handle. Did you know that 28% of first-year students in four-year colleges do not return for their sophomore year? But I’m confident all you smart gals will be able to navigate through your first year smoothly.
Every new semester I usually encounter something new to add to my “Things I Wish I Knew as a Freshman” list. Follow these savvy tips and you’ll be ready for whatever curveball college throws at you. I’ll share a few in hopes of helping out a collegiette-to-be:
1.Your professors are actually (sort of) your friends.
So maybe they won’t be the BFF you tell everything to, but they are there to help you. Take advantage of office hours and go out of your way to make sure you’re up-to-date on your classes. Don’t fret — in college, there is no such thing as a teacher’s pet. Plus, creating a bond with your professors will make it easier when you need letters of recommendation later on.
2. Get to know your library.
You should know how to access the online catalog to find what you’re searching for, and how to physically locate it in your library. Most colleges also have online database subscriptions that allow you to access hundreds of otherwise very expensive information. Using these resources are not only more enriching and trustworthy than Wikipedia, but your professors will be more impressed as well. Get the most out of it while you can!
3. Pinpoint your classrooms before your first day.
You’ll avoid being spotted as a freshman, spare yourself the embarrassment of being lost on campus, and save you time. Most campuses offer a map of the campus, so you won’t have to stop every other person or security guard how to get to a certain building.
4. Research your professors beforehand.
Although dealing with difficult professors is part of the experience, some are too tough to handle. Maybe his or her teaching style doesn’t quite fit with your learning style. Knowing what you’re getting yourself into will guarantee the best outcome. You can ask other students or log on to professor-rating websites to get the down-low.
5. You can reschedule your premade schedule.
Some colleges or universities will actually make up your freshman schedule for you. But if you’re not a morning person and you have classes scheduled for 7am, there actually IS something you can do. The first week of every semester is usually a period of schedule changes. If you can’t do it through the normal enrollment system, you can visit each department, and the secretary will usually add or drop whichever class you need.
6. You need sleep!
Try to get 7-8 hours of sleep every night. You’ll feel better, learn faster and be less stressed. An occasional all-nighter is inevitable, but scheduling your study time in between classes is a good way to avoid them. And, whenever you have a couple of free hours, try to catch a nap. Your body will thank you!
7. Textbooks are expensive.
You can buy them used online (or even rent them!) for much cheaper than the list price. Other students will probably post on bulletin boards or Facebook pages that they’re selling them. Another alternative is to check if the textbook is available to download as an e-book on your tablet. Your wallet will thank you. (Hey, maybe with the money you save you can even buy that cute leather wallet you had your eye on! Wink, wink!)
8.You’ll have to develop new study habits.
Classes won’t be as easy to breeze by as they were in high school. In fact, be prepared to study all day and still fail a test. Set about an hour each day to catch up on classwork and you’ll feel much more prepared in class, and won’t have to cram the night before a big test.
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9. Get organized — fast!
If you were never much of an agenda-keeping gal, that better start changing. Between homework, term papers, tests, sports and parties, you’re bound to forget something. Buy a cute little organizer, use the calendar on your phone or download an app like iStudiez to schedule everything in your new, busy college life. (How cute are these Lilly Pulitzer agendas?)
10.Call your mother.
If you’re living away from home, you’ll be too busy with college to be homesick. But even when that happens, remember to pick up the phone and call home to at least let your parents know you’re doing well. They’ll appreciate your call, and feel better knowing their baby girl is thinking of them wherever she is.
11.Pay attention to your class syllabus.
Professors take time to write and distribute it for a reason. Often they will assume you’re up-to-date with upcoming events such as the due date for a fifteen-page term paper or your ten-chapter test, and will not accept any excuses.
12.You don’t have to be best friends with your roommate.
If you were best friends before, be careful that your living situation does not affect your friendship. Respect each other and your space. From the first moment you move in together, set rules for things like visiting hours, chores schedules, boyfriends sleeping over, etc. Communication is key!
13.One compliment does not make someone boyfriend —or girlfriend— material.
Don’t fall for the first person that compliments you. College is more of a hooking up kind of environment, and if you wear your heart on your sleeve you may get hurt. Yes, it’s okay to have a little (safe) fun, but if you’re not that kind of girl, beware of preying upperclassmen (and upperclasswomen!).
14.The Freshman 15 is not a myth!
Ah, the dreaded Freshman 15. You may be lucky and only put on five or ten pounds instead of the 15. Try and make healthy choices when eating on campus. Drink plenty of water and, if you haven’t already, begin an exercise routine. The simplest things make a difference.
15.Back everything up — EVERYTHING.
It is proven that the odds of your computer crashing are inversely proportional to how much time you have left to hand something in. I’ve found the most efficient way to beat this is to create the file in your Dropbox folder and save it every 10 or so minutes as I continue to work on it. That way, if anything happens to my computer, my files are safe up in the cloud.
16.Befriend your academic advisor.
Meeting with your academic advisor is important. They’re the ones who sign off your academic evaluation, which lets you know which courses you’ve already taken and how many credits you still need to graduate. Every major has a curriculum model, usually pre-arranged with a class schedule for each semester. Some classes have pre-requisites, but you can usually play around with the order. Your academic advisor is your go-to when you have any questions regarding your, well, academics.
17.Take it seriously.
You’re on your own and you can make your own decisions, like partying all night and skipping class the next day. Respect the fact that you worked hard to get admitted to college and that your future is right around the corner. Have fun when you can, but prioritize your schoolwork. One good thing to do is to start looking for your dream internships and their requirements, so you can plan ahead for them.
There you have it! There are surely so many things I would’ve been better off knowing when I first started college, but I can’t say I regret my freshman year. College is a learning experience, after all. Au revoir, collegiettes!