I am entering my first year of college at Bloomsburg University. I am scared out of my mind for my first day because of what I’ve heard about of how hard college is. I’m not worried about not having anyone to remind me of anything, I’m actually looking forward to that. The only thing I’m worried about is the Academics. I don’t know how I’m going to get through college, I want answers. I want to graduate with atleast a 3.6 or higher but I don’t know if I’ll be able to do that because from what I’ve heard, college is very intimidating. Thank all of you for your time.
College is quite different from high school. But it is that way for everyone. The college will try to ease you through that transition. The college really does want their students to succeed.
A simple way to think about is it that college is more about the student taking charge of their learning with the college teaching staff there to assist you rather than spoon feeding students as in high school. Your grades will be more focused on a couple of quizzes throughout the term and a final at the end. Less about “class participation” type things. That puts a premium on the student staying up to date in the class which requires good study skills, good time management skills and the drive to keep up to date in the class. Fall behind and its tough to catch up.
The biggest hurdle one has is recognizing that college is different. You have realized that. Put your study plan into action and you should do fine.
First things first: Bloomsburg would not have admitted you if they had any doubt that you were up to their academic standards. They have no interest in students failing: from the time that they say 'hey, we want you, they want you to succeed.
College is different than HS in a bunch of ways. but the same basics apply: do your job. That means:
go to class- every time, even if friends skip.
*start homework assignments early- you have fewer class hours and more independent work in college. If it’s a tough class for you, do the reading *before the class time (most profs will give out the reading/assignment list for the whole term on the first day), so that you have some idea what is going on.
*during orientation and first day of each class, pay attention to the part where they tell you about the writing center, math labs, TA / prof office hours, peer tutoring, etc. USE THEM early & often. One of the biggest differences between HS & college is the speed at which things move, and another is the number of resources available for you.
*do not believe anybody who tries to tell you that it’s ok to skip class, that class X is easy, that prof Y is whatever. You need to figure those things out for yourself. And remember that sometimes (not always, but surprisingly often) your best teachers turn out to have been some of the ones with the toughest reputation.
Finally, know that every.single.freshman has some doubts or anxiety about starting college- even the ones who are genuinely excited, even the ones who look cool as cucumbers. It is a big change, and there will be days that are great and days that are hard- same as all of life.
From your other posts it looks as through your grades improved dramatically over the course of HS: congratulations! Remember that you are still growing and developing, and in particular your prefrontal cortex will be more and more helpful to you over the next couple of years 
You have shown yourself & your college that you can do good work when you put your mind to it. Enjoy this summer, and here’s to a great adventure!
Have I got a post for you!
The main thing is if you do get grades you aren’t happy with…do something about it.
Super post, @bopper! Should be pinned…
Take a day and sit in on a college class or 2 at a local school to get a feel for it.
You should be fine. The trick is to take college work seriously from the start and use your time wisely – attend every class, do every assignment (even if they are not collected/checked), start early if you have a long-term assignment, leave plenty of time to study for exams etc.
My first two years of HS, I was still figuring myself out. I expected things would come to me and I barely put in any effort to succeed. I got nothing but D’s, Cs, and very few B’s and kept making excuses. My teachers even said to me and my mom that I’m not college material and that college isn’t for everyone. During the summer after my sophomore year, I reflected on my first two years and told myself that if I want any chance to get into college, I have to really step it up, get all A’s (which I did in my Junior year), and stop making excuses. I also voluntarily sacrificed my whole summer and retook my whole Sophomore year, well I mean English 10, Algebra 2, Western Civ, and French 1in just about 2 months. I got A’s in all 4. And then came my senior and I got 3 As, 3 B’s, and 1 C in prob and stat (I’m just horrible at statistics). The best part about this is that I’m now in college and I get to start totally fresh and I have a chance to get a perfect 4.0. Bloomsburg wasn’t my number 1 school, my number one school was Colorado State and I got accepted there. I had to go here for the first year because out of state tuition is high. So I’m going to prove to them again that I’m the kind of student they want.