The start of a new school year is like a second chance for several students, or a new year if you’re a freshman starting college. It’s a fresh start for all of us: learning from the mistakes we made, and focusing on what worked the past year. So, if YOU are a freshman going into your first year of college, and you don’t know what to expect you’ve come to the right place.
1) It’s not high school round 2: First semester of college, I found the lack of structure and huge gaps between classes to be intimidating. What was I supposed to do? Waste money at Tim Horton’s? Call my mom? Tweet about the huge gap between classes? Yes, I did all those things, but I later developed a timetable and a schedule to follow. I allocated various time slots for volunteering, reviewing notes before class, or getting coffee with a friend. So yes, you do have lot’s of time on your hands but use that wisely.
2) Classes are insanely hard: this is NOT to intimidate you, but if you’re walking into your Introductory Calculus class thinking that it is going to be a breeze, you are already on the wrong track, my friend. Do not take anything lightly, because classes will get harder super quick. You will be swamped with reading, so make sure you get that done the first week. Syllabus week is no joke. Get started early.
3) Don’t skip class: Professor’s value students who show up, and often give out little tidbits that are useful for exams. By skipping class, you aren’t studying or being “productive.” You’re wasting time, and going to be behind in terms of course content. Don’t be that person. Attend class, get those tips, and avoid wasting time studying content you don’t need to study.
4) Don’t take labs lightly: Okay, to my non-science majors, this doesn’t apply, so y’all can skip to #5. Labs are made to enhance your knowledge of course content, and by taking them non-seriously you’re putting YOUR own learning at stake. You will not be able to apply what you are learning, and it’ll just be useless memorization. Make sure you have a solid grasp on concepts, because most labs have a lab exam at the end.
5) Your “squad” might drift apart: You will make friends, and lose some. Your high school squad, might not be a squad anymore. Make new friends, and don’t force relationships. If they don’t need you, you don’t need them.
However, this does not mean that it’s impossible – it is definitely possible. Whatever input you put in, that’s what you’re going to get. Work hard, get those grades, but most importantly enjoy the process. Chin up, YOU got this.