This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Valdosta chapter.
Being a freshman in college is challenging. You’re away from home, family, and friends. You’re on a large campus with complete strangers and things can get lonely. It is easy to feel left out and lost but there are many ways to get over that hump and end up having the time of your life. Here’s how:
- Focus on your GRADES: Now, I’m not saying to be a complete scholar and never have fun but definitely focus on keeping your grades up. The grades you make your freshman year will either make or break you and will set up how well you do the following years. If you start off great you’ll end even better.
- Meet with your advisor: This technically goes into the focus on your grades category, however, meeting with your advisor is just as important. Your advisor will be your best friend throughout your entire college career. While some advisors are not the best, others do their jobs perfectly. These are the people who will help you schedule your classes and keep you on track for graduation.
- Get ACTIVE: Once you’ve got into a steady routine of doing assignments, homework, and studying, try to get involved on and off of campus. There a million and one organization on each campus that are made just for your participation. There is a wide variety of clubs that will appeal to you in some form or fashion. If you’re interested in volunteer work there are always opportunities in the surrounding communities. Get active and stay active. It’s nothing like having a busy schedule to keep you occupied.
- Ask for help: It’s okay for you to ask for help. There are upperclassmen on your campus that went through the exact feeling that you may be going through now. They can help you if you ask for it. It’s always a good feeling to talk to someone who knows how you feel. They can introduce you to clubs and organizations on campus and if they are really interested enough they might become your mentor and give you that little extra push you need.
- Call home: I’m a junior in college with a very busy schedule but I still call home every single day just to talk. I miss my family daily but the three-hour drive is not something I’m willing to do every weekend. Your family is going to miss you just as much as you miss them. Call your friends as well. Chances are, they are just as alone and stressed as you and could really use someone familiar.
- ME TIME: Make time for yourself. You will be no good if you forget to take care of yourself. Remember the things you love to do when times get rough. Whether it be reading a book, riding a bike, or working out, don’t forget to do those things because it is very easy to get burnt out.
- Go to sleep: I know, sleeping is like a no-brainer. However, when midterms and finals hit, as well as every other thing on your list of to-dos, sleeping can be something that is forgotten (and eating on occasion). If you’re stuck writing an eight-page paper and you’ve finished it at page three with nothing more to say, take a short nap and try again when you wake up. I promise you, sleeping solves a lot of the little problems of the world
-HCXO