10 Tips For The First Year College Student

7:32 AM


Hey guys, since we are now well into August, that means it is time for school to start back. I know, I know, that is the last thing that most of us college students want to think about, but it is time. For me, after I graduated high school, I then went to a two year community college in my hometown. Wasn't my ideal situation, but as someone who doesn't receive any financial aid, my parents basically decided that I was staying here for my first two years for them to save money. But after finishing those two years I headed off to a University, and I have plenty of tips to help all of you incoming freshmen or transfer students that will hopefully help you to have a successful first year of college. 


1. Get to know your roommates/neighbors

Whether you are a freshman living in a dorm or a transfer student renting an apartment, this is a super important thing to do. These are the people who you are going to be living with, which means you will be spending a lot of time with them. You want to get to know them, so that you will hopefully get a long with them. Most of the time they will be the ones who will want to go eat with you and study with you. If you don't have any roommates, I am sure that you will have neighbors, so be sure to get to know them as well. In the end, you will more than likely develop a real friendship with these people, or at the very least be able to get along with them for the most part. 

2. Show up to class

So you might think that this is a no brainer, but it is something that a lot of college students have a problem doing. You go from living at home with your parents where they make you go to school to living by yourself. No one is there to make you go, and honestly most of your professors aren't going to care if you show up or not. Not showing up will only hurt you. Sure, there are going to be times when you don't feel like going, and there are some classes that you can miss a time or two and won't get behind, but making this a habit could end your time as a college student real fast. 

3. Set aside certain times for studying

Graduated high school at the top of your class with a 4.0? You might think that you can get through college without studying, but unless you are a genius that probably isn't going to be the case. Studying is a very important part of college, so make time in your schedule where you just study. Find a nice quite place, you even could study with a friend. Just be sure not to overstudy and miss out on all of the fun of college. 

4. Get a backpack

This might be a no brainer for most people, but at my high school, no one really carried a backpack. We might have had one in our locker, but none of us ever used it. But trust me, you will need one for college. College campuses are big, and you could have a class at 10:00 on one side of campus, and a class at 11:00 on the opposite side of campus. A backpack will definitely come in handy. Pretty much everyone you see on campus will be carrying one. Below are some great backpack options.

5. Invest in an Umbrella or Rain Jacket 

This tip is very similar to the backpack tip. Like I said before, campus is big, and even walking from your dorm, apartment, parking lot or the bus stop can be a long walk to whatever building your next class is in. And chances are it is probably going to rain at some point during the semester no matter where you go to school. Keeping an umbrella in your backpack and having a rain jacket in your closet will help you to not get soaking wet on your way to class. Below are some great umbrella and rain jacket options.
6. Get Organized

Your going to be busy, and more than likely this will be the first time in your life that you don't have somebody reminding you of all of the things that you need to do. You need to get organized. I would suggest to either buy some type of planner or maybe use an online planner. Plan out everything from your class times, to assignment due dates, test dates, study sessions, social events and your work schedule if you have a job. This will make everything so much easier.

7. Get Involved

Getting involved will increase your overall college experience. Now I don't mean you have to be some social butterfly, unless you want to be. But, I do believe that everyone needs to get involved in something on campus. The best way to figure out how you can get involved on your campus is to go to the campus club fair. At my school we have them around the second or third week of each semester. There you can talk with students about rushing for greek life, joining an academic/major focused fraternity, sports clubs, volunteer work and so many other different types of clubs and activities. I promise that you will find at least one thing that you want to participate in, and it will help you to meet new people and hopefully become friends with some of them.

8. Make sure you get enough sleep

Not even going to try to lie to you, this is not an easy thing to do. Between classes, homework, studying, working, going out, trying to work out and whatever you else you may be doing, you are going to be a very busy person. But it is also important that you get enough sleep. If you don't get the right amount of sleep, the chances are that your school work is going to suffer and you're also going to not be too pleasant to be around.

9. Know when you should go out and when you should stay in

It's college, you should be going out and having fun. But you also shouldn't be going out every single night. Like my last tip, you need sleep, if you are going out to party all the time, that won't be possible. There are going to be times when you get invited to a party or to dinner with some of your friends, but if you know that you have a midterm at 8am the next morning that you aren't prepared for, say No. Believe me, you will hate that you are missing out, but it will pay off in the long run. My tip would be to use Friday and Saturday as the days that you go out, with Sunday being a day of rest from the previous two days.

10. Be prepared to handle a lot of stress

It's not going to be easy, so don't let anyone who says that fool you. Quite frankly, it is very stressful. You are living as an "adult" for the first time, but it is also usually still on your parent's dime. That means not only are you having to figure out how to do all of these things yourself, go to class, study, make good grades, make new friends, have a social life and get enough rest, but you also have to answer to your parents when you aren't doing so hot. So learning how to handle all of that stress is a must. Take an hour once a week to do something relaxing. To some that could go to go for a run, take a long shower, read a book, watch your favorite show on Netflix, splurge and eat something that you shouldn't. Just know that you can do it, and when you finally graduate with that Bachelor's Degree, it will all be worth it.


There are several more tips I could give you guys, but I feel like these ten are super important. I promise that if you listen to these tips and implement them into your school year, it will help you greatly. I hope that everyone has a great semester.



Thanks For Reading,

Bryant

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Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means when you click on one of the product links, I receive a small commission. However, all views are my own and I only promote products that I truly love.  



6 comments:

  1. These are excellent tips. My oldest is headed to high school this year and it won't be long before we need these. Thank you!

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    1. Yes, the four years of high school really fly by, and it is always great to be prepared. Thank you for reading!

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  2. I think the transition to college can be a huge challenge, and these tips are so helpful! I love the tip about getting involved. Transitioning to a new community can feel overwhelming, and one of the easiest ways to get over that is by becoming active.

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    1. It is a huge transition. Getting involved is one thing that has helped me so much in college. Thank you for reading!

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  3. Getting to know your neighbors is so important. You honestly never know what could happen or how you guys could help each other. :]

    // itsCarmen.com

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    Replies
    1. That is very true! Sometimes they can become some of your best friends. Thank you for reading!

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