When I was in high school, all I ever heard was: “Just wait ‘till you get to University, that’s where it really gets difficult”. If you’re like me and are terrified of failure, this mantra might be making you absolutely dread your first few days of college classes. Well, never fear. While University is certainly not as easy as High School, there’s no reason your first day and your first year can’t be a great one! Here are my 5 simple tips to a great first week:
1. Planning
Think Scar in the Lion King when he’s planning to kill Mufasa and take over the animal kingdom. If you want to succeed, being prepared is the way to go. This goes for taking some time the day before school starts to walk to your classes (hint: WesternClassFind is an amazing resource). Also prepare what your going to wear (any collegiette knows that if you look good you feel good), and make sure you buy any pens, laptops, or notebooks you need in to take those A+ notes this year.
2. Get A Good Nights Sleep
I don’t know about any of you, but I get tangry (tired/angry). If I don’t get the right amount of sleep, my entire day is basically me trying to mainline coffee into my bloodstream (and trying not to yell at anyone too loudly) – not the best impression for the first day of school. A good nights rest will put you in a much better mood, and give you the motivation you need to start the dreaded learning process after a relaxing summer.
3. Keep the Questions To a Minimum
Now, I know a lot of people like to say there’s no such thing as a dumb question. And while I certainly don’t want to discourage people on their first day, there’s nothing a professor hates more than having to answer a question that’s on the syllabus. Trust me, they start looking crazier and crazier the more they have to repeat through clenched teeth that it’s on the syllabus. Take a minute the day before classes to see if any of your syllabus’ are posted online and read them carefully – sometimes the most important information is in the fine print.
4. Think of Some Fun Facts About You
College isn’t some sophisticated, otherworldly place where teachers don’t play get-to-know-you games. While I completely botched up my first day of school fun fact (the best I could think of was that I was 1 of 5 siblings, while my friend Katie spouted about the fact that she had AU PAIRED in NORWAY), you don’t have to befall the same fate. It doesn’t have to be anything too amazing, but having an interesting fact ready can ease the pressure of being on the spot.
5. Have Fun!
At the end of the day, University is meant to be the experience of a lifetime. I know it’s hard not to be stressed and anxious, but the more you embrace uni-life instead of being petrified of it, the better it’ll be. Just remember, it’s not high school! You have more freedom than ever: the classes you’ll take at Western are one’s you’re passionate about, no one’s telling you what to do, and best of all, you can go to the bathroom at any time you want!