College Tips

06 Aug College Tips

All during my senior year of high school and the summer after, I had looked up so many different tips and suggestions for incoming freshman because I wanted to know everything before going to college. All of the articles I had read seemed so basic and similar to everyone else writing about tips for college, so I thought it would be helpful for some of you incoming freshman or parents to read about my tips that actually helped me get through my freshman year!

• Your planner will be your lifeline.
  This is a tip that I had always read but I never thought I needed it until forgetting about my first assignment. Most professors will tell you about an assignment once and then never bring it up again. It is so helpful to write everything down in your planner and go through it at the end of the night to make sure you don’t forget anything! What I learned to do my second semester was to go through my syllabus right when I would get it and write down all of the big assignments down for the whole semester so I never forget anything.

• The library is not the only place to study.
  Everyone always told me that the library would be my best friend, but I quickly found out that I am the type of student that can study in one place for about a week and then I need to change my scenery. Don’t get me wrong, the library is a great place to study but there are so many other places in a university that you can go. 

• Use RateMyProfessor.com when scheduling classes.
  I was told during my orientation not to use ratemyprofessor.com due to the fact that just because one student had an issue with a professor doesn’t mean you will, so I did not use it for my first semester schedule. That was a big mistake. After having my first horrible professor, I was curious to see what people rated him on ratemyprofessor.com and he had the worst possible ratings. If I would have just looked him up before taking the class, it would have saved me from countless hours of unnecessary studying.  

• You might not be best friends with your roommate and that is okay.
  My freshman year roommate and I were not best friends. We mainly only said hello and goodbye when coming and going and that was okay with both of us. You might also get a roommate who is your best friend. Two of my best friends are each others freshman roommate and they loved living together. No matter what kind of roommate you get, you will be okay. 

• Eat healthy.
  Just because you don’t live at home anymore doesn’t mean you can have ramen or pizza for every meal. Make sure you are eating well and taking care of yourself. Your campus probably has a ton of food options so make sure you are using what they have to offer. 

• Don’t take 8am classes.
  Sometimes taking an 8am is unavoidable but it is best to try an avoid them if possible. I remember thinking that if I could wake up at 6 AM every morning for high school with no problem, why should that be any different in college? It is very different. College students need as much sleep as possible, especially after staying up all night studying. 

• Don’t skip class.
  This one is tough for freshman. If you went to a high school like mine, there was no way to skip class so it’s tempting to want to try and skip your first college class. It’s a slippery slope when it comes to missing class. You do it once and then you always think you’ll be fine, but there is a reason the teacher is there. Go, listen and learn. 

• Changing your major is okay.
  Changing your major is totally okay when your freshman year. I went in as a political science major and ended up changing it to a major that I now love. For your freshman year you can just take basic common core classes and then figure out what you really want to do. 

• Wait till after the first class to buy textbooks.
  A lot of teachers will list what textbook is needed, but about half of the time you will not end up using the textbook. Also check ratemyprofessor.com, each review will list whether or not they used the textbook in class.

• Do not procrastinate.
  I was told this about a million times when I went off to college, yet I still procrastinated. I highly recommend if you use a planner to write in the due date of things at least 3 days before it is actually due. Procrastinating never helps anything because you don’t know what events will pop up so do yourself a favor and do things early.
• Talk with your professors.
  It is a good idea to talk to your professors, whether or not you are doing well in the class. It is not a bad thing to ask for help. The best thing to do is go in during teachers office hours and speak with them and ask them for help. Most professors don’t offer extra credit, but if they know you put in a lot of effort during the semester they are more likely to round your grade up.

I hope some of these tips help you! As always, if you ever have any questions in regards to college or the process email me at kiana@shayrealtors.com and it would be my pleasure to help!