In no specific order here are 14 things every college freshmen should know before starting college:1. Professors are there to help you and will not turn you away when you ask for help. As one of my professors once said, "No question is stupid," thus, ask whenever you have doubts or concerns about something. If you don't want to ask in class, you can visit your professor in what they call "office hours." These are times specified by each professor for students to go and speak to them privately.
2. You should never procrastinate as it will become your worst enemy in college. Resist every temptation to leave assignments to the last minute. As soon as an assignment is given try to work on it little by little and finish it early if you could. Sometimes professors will give extra credit for early submissions.
3. College is not a game and should be taken seriously. Cutting class, failing classes, acting up in class, and many other immature acts can get you expelled from your college. Note however, if you fail a course or two and your G.P.A. (see Common College Terms) plummets to a certain number you will be given a warning, then placed on probation, and finally expelled. Thus, you will have time to pick things up and bring your grade up before you're expelled completely. Then again, the best thing is to never get to a point where you have to struggle to get back to where your G.P.A. was.
4. Register for your classes as early as possible because this is the only way you will have a schedule of your choice. If you wait until the last minute, you will be stuck with a very hectic schedule. See how doing everything early is always beneficial?
5. Do Not Take Out a Loan! Unless you absolutely have to, do not take out a loan. Exhaust all possible options; believe me there are many, many options to exhaust. Don't give up easily because help is there, you just have to find it. Again, if you start your search early you will have more options and opportunities. If you do have to take out a loan, then start working so you can begin paying off as much as possible. The less loan you have upon graduation, the better.
6. You could get a job on campus. It's not impossible to find a job on campus, so apply, go for the interview and get the job.
7. College is not as easy or as difficult as everyone makes it seem, rather it's how YOU make it. Depending on how you react to college life, you can have a smooth transaction from year to year or you can be struggling to keep the minimum G.P.A. required to stay in school.
8. As cliche' as this sounds, how you do in college will determine your future. Thus, if you get good grades, pay attention in class, and show a genuine interest in studying you will be on a great path.
9. Be Positive! College shouldn't be a negative experience, so don't make it so. Be as positive as possible about everything. This way you will decrease your stress level and actually feel better about things.
10. Find an internship as soon as you can so that you can figure out what it is you really want to study.
11. Don't be scared! College is not scary at all, it really just requires you to be more independent. Thus, throw away your fear and walk into your first course with confidence.
12. Don't forget your health. While college can become a very exhausting part of your daily life, it shouldn't stop you from taking care of your health. Remember, if you don't get enough sleep, exercise regularly and eat healthy food, you're seriously not going to be able to function well.
13. I have to repeat this because I can't stress it enough, get enough sleep! Don't wait until the last minute and then spend the whole night studying for your exam. Sometimes I used to be so busy or simply procrastinate that I would forget I have an exam the next day. Thus, I stay up late and wake up early to study. When I go take the exam I have had about 3-4 hours of sleep and I am just so energetic. I know it sounds weird, but you're kind of hype for a couple of hours and then your body crashes pretty quickly. I usually end up falling a sleep on the train on my ride home, even while standing up if no seat is available. Thus, this method is horrible and you're probably not going to realize how bad it is until you experience it.
14. Finally, just relax and everything is going to be FINE! Really, college is not scary; it's quite interesting.
Do you have tips for college freshmen?
