How to Rock Your Freshman Year in College
Life as a college freshman is full of opportunities, challenges, and new experiences. It’s natural to feel nervous, lost, and scared as a college freshman. But freshman year isn’t all that scary. With some effort, you can not only survive your freshman year, but can rock it too!
How, you ask? Here’s how:
Keep an open mind: Don’t have preconceived notions about freshman year. Irrespective of what others tell you, your experience will be different from everyone else’s. Know that you’re not alone. There’ll be so many other freshmen on campus in the same boat as you. It’s important to keep an open mind and learn as you go. Be open to new experiences. Don’t let setbacks bog you down. If you’re unsure of something, ask for guidance. If you’re looking for course correction, seek help.
Be organized: From your personal belongings to your schedule, make sure things are in order. Planning everything ahead of time and having a proper schedule will help you manage your time better. Divide your time between classes, extracurriculars, and other activities you may want to take part in. Make a schedule and try your best to make it work. Use extra help like Bartleby and other tools to save time and be on top of your game.
Get out there: Get out of your comfort zone and start a conversation. Be it your roommate, people you meet in the residence hall, classmates, professors, or counselors, keep the communication channel open. Talk to people to get to know them. Be an active listener. Sign up for clubs, sports teams, or other activities where you can meet new people and make friends and build your network.
Find a mentor: It can be a senior, a professor, a counselor, a student advisor, or anyone else who has enough experience to mentor you and help you navigate college and beyond. Many universities even have freshman mentor programs where a personal mentor is appointed to help freshman transition to college life. Such programs help freshmen ease into college life and help them achieve their academic and personal goals. Check if your college has such a program or reach out to a student counselor if you need help.
Don’t skip classes: Although it might be tempting to skip classes, it isn’t a wise thing to do if you want to get good grades. Missing classes also means that you’ll have to spend extra time catching up, which can be stressful. You’ll also have a tough time working on your assignments if you skip classes. Since each class costs you money, skipping classes is equal to throwing your money away. While it’s okay to skip classes when you’ve a valid reason, it’s important to make sure that it doesn’t become a habit.
Manage your money: A light purse is a heavy curse. Therefore, you should be extra careful with your money. Being prudent will help you make the right decisions when it comes to spending money. Make a budget and try not to exceed it. Check if you’re eligible for financial aid, grants, scholarships, etc. which will help reduce your student debt. Make use of student discounts and deals. Remember, a penny saved is a penny earned.
Pack extra clothes: Get enough clothes. If you get busy juggling too many things, you could be left with very little time to do your laundry. While most residence halls laundry facilities, it might take some time for you to get used to doing your laundry. It helps to have a few sets of extra clothes meanwhile.
Make healthy choices: It’s easy to get exhausted since you’ll be juggling classes, assignments, clubs, parties, events, and whatnot. In order to avoid burnout, you should maintain a healthy lifestyle. It’s important to eat a healthy diet, drink enough water, get sufficient sleep, take breaks when necessary, exercise frequently, and do everything that you need to do to stay sane, healthy, and happy. Paying attention to your physical, emotional, and mental health will help you cope with stress and improve your wellbeing.
Being away from home for the first time can be overwhelming. That said, you don’t have to feel intimidated by your new life. With a little effort, you can learn to make the best use of the resources available at your disposal to not only survive, but also rock your freshman year.