>>Tips for Entering College>>
College
life is looming. Wouldn't it be nice to get some pointers on making
the most of college? FastWeb has polled students from across the
country for their top tips for a successful freshman year.
Getting Settled
"Talk
to your roommate before you get to school and decide who's bringing
what (you don't need two stereos...)."
Tina, Dartmouth College
"Even
if you really miss your home or your parents want you to come
back, don't do it until it has been at least a month since you
were in college. The people who leave before then never feel like
they have a foothold on college life, and end up leaving."
Kristen, Cal Poly
"Splurge
on organizing materials—for your dorm, for your backpack, for
all your papers. This is the most important thing you can do in
order to preserve sanity as you find your free time slowly slipping
away."
Andrea, Harold Washington City College
"Make
friends with an older student who has already been through freshman
year and can help make your first year easier."
David, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Back
to top
Classwork/Academics
"Don't
sweat the grades. If you put in an honest, diligent effort and
are truly engaged in your work, then you'll be fine. If studying
a certain subject is like pulling teeth or is the last thing you
want to do, then something's wrong. If this subject is your major,
then something is very wrong."
Seth, Brown University
"Go
to class—it is SO tempting to miss class and get another student's
notes, but you'll definitely miss out."
David
"Get
to know your professors. It's not high school anymore. Your classes
can be 300+ and your professors will not come to you; you must
come to them. Get to know them because they are your most valuable
resources for academics and for extracurricular professional opportunities."
Matt, Stanford University
"Don't
depend on the teacher to remind you about due dates."
Elizabeth, Sam Houston State University
"Follow
of the honor code—cheating is not worth it!"
David
"Take
different classes. Even if you know what you want to major in,
most students end up changing their major sometime during their
college careers. Learn new things and open yourself up to a whole
new future."
Andy, Gordon College
"Don't
be afraid to ask questions ... especially in class or afterwards.
No college professor is going to turn you away. He/she may not
have the time to lead you through the problem, but they can, and
most of the time will, lead you in the right direction."
Andy
"Don't
be afraid to take challenging, upper level courses. What's important
is one-on-one contact with a teacher and highly motivated students,
something you'll only get in smaller classes. This means getting
over the fear of looking ignorant and realizing that everyone's
a novice at some point."
Seth
Back
to top
Extracurriculars
"Become
involved in several community service activities and extra-curricular
activities/clubs so you can become an integral part in the campus."
David
"Don't
sacrifice quality for quantity in terms of what you get involved
in. You'll always want to do more than what you have time for,
so limit your commitments to what you can really get deeply engaged
in."
Seth
"Keep
up a hobby—dance class, computer games, pottery. Whatever outlet
you have for creative energy or frustration, keep it up during
your college experience."
Andrea
"Learn
to manage your time. Even if you're the type that doesn't do a
bit of studying until 20 minutes before an exam, you need to budget
your time at college between classes, activities and socializing.
If you spend all your time at the library, you won't appreciate
college very much; but the same goes for the scenario in which
you spend your whole college career hanging over the balcony of
a house with Greek letters painted on the side."
Terri, College of William and Mary
"Go
to every job fair, information session and industry banquet. Most
of the time, that is how you get jobs before and after college."
Kristen
Back
to top
Dorm or Apartment Life
"Make
friends with your residential assistant. They can be really helpful
and you never know when you will need them (e.g., for roommate
problems, advice on picking classes, etc.)."
Tina
"Learn
to say "No." Mom and Dad are miles away now, and there's
no one to stand up for you but you. If you roommate constantly
takes your favorite clothes without asking or if the girl down
the hall always disturbs your studies with her annoying loud conversations,
speak up! You have your rights."
Terri
"Don't
try to be your roommate's best friend! All you need to get along
is to respect them and make sure they respect your opinions and
needs and be willing to stand up for yourself."
David
"If
you have a problem with your roommate, address it immediately
or it will grow into a bigger situation than is needed."
Elizabeth
"Make
sure you and your roommate talk early on about what you both expect—
i.e. regarding phone time, messages, borrowing stuff, guests,
cleaning, etc."
Tina
"Don't
blast your music. You'll be glad you were polite when the girl
in the room next door starts blasting her favorite techno remix
at 10:30 the night before you have a test and you
can ask her to turn down her tunes without being "hypocrite
of the week" in your hall."
Terri
Back
to top
Health and Wellbeing
"Eat!!!
This isn't really important to a lot of people, but so many of
my friends have went off to school and became so absorbed in partying
and/or saving money that they didn't get the nourishment and quality
of food they got at home. Don't get out of shape ... try to eat
just like you did at home."
Andy
"Exercise!
The college workload can hit you like a ton of bricks, pushing
your stress level through the roof. Take some time each day to
exercise; it will help you relieve the stress and fight the infamous
'freshman 15.'"
Matt
"Get
plenty of sleep. Whether you traveled 1000 miles to a different
state, or just to the other side of the city, this is a big change
you're making in your life. Take care of yourself and get enough
sleep so you'll be prepared to deal with all the pressures and
stressful situations."
Andrea
"Maintain
some private time and space. Sure, you're sociable, but being
around people your own age all day, every day, can be really taxing
on the nerves. Find a secluded spot on campus where you can go
to relax and spend some time there each week, pondering the meaning
of life and what not."
Terri
"Besides
the studying and working all the time, make time for yourself.
It's the best way to experience college and also the best way
to be happy when you have to write that paper or study. A balanced
life is a more healthy one, and leads
to better grades in the end."
Andy
Back
to top
Money
"Budget,
budget, budget—don't just plan to! Keep track of where your money
is going—save receipts, balance your checkbook. Don't let poverty
sneak up on you!"
Andrea
"Learn
not to want what you don't need. Protect yourself by realizing
that you don't need at least 99 out of 100 things people want
to sell you. If you get into a habit of buying things that you
don't need (i.e., things that don't noticeably help facilitate
your health and wellbeing), you'll send your family to the poorhouse
right quick."
Seth
"Get
phonecards. They are much cheaper and usually the college phone
prices are really high."
Tina
"Shop
around for books. The sooner you get into this habit, the better
you will feel about the world in general. Check online sources.
They offer lots of hard-to-find titles and may sell standard texts
at much more reasonable prices than what you will see at the campus
bookstore."
Andrea
Back
to top
Social Life
"Don't
be a stranger. Start spontaneous conversations with people—it's
much easier on a college campus than anywhere else. Always remember
that you have nothing to lose."
Seth
"Don't
party too hard. This is one of the main reasons most kids don't
succeed their first few years in school. It's expected that you're
going to go out and try new things, but don't overdo it."
Andy
"Don't
forget the contacts and friends you had in high school; they can
be there for you more than you will ever know."
Kristen
"Support
the efforts of your friends. See their plays. Go to their exhibitions.
This'll encourage them to do the same for you, and before you
know it, you'll build a real, meaningful social and intellectual
community."
Seth
"Experience
everything you can. There are all kinds of new people at school.
This may be your time to break free and find out what you're all
about. Meet new people and hang out with different groups."
Andy
|
