Tips for my first week of college?

College Life
1

I’m starting college on August 30th for the first time ever (as a psychology major).
I’ve been preparing by going to my campus (I’m starting off just commuting) and walking to my classes and learning my way around…

I’m obviously pretty nervous…mainly because I don’t really know what to expect…

Any tips for how to survive your first week at college?

2

Hey! I’m going to be a senior (classes start August 30th for me too), and I’m sure I can think of a few things that help you.

Social:

1.) Don’t freak out too much if you do something stupid; you have the social cushion of being new.

2.) Make friends with upperclassmen. I don’t know where I would be without my mentors.

3.) That being said, you really can’t force friendships. They just happen, and they may not happen right away, but it works out soon enough. I met one of my closest friends at a cheesy board game mixer in the third week of school.

Academic:

4.) You’re probably not going to have daily homework like you used to. It’s more likely that you’ll technically have no assignments for weeks (aside from reading), and all of a sudden you have an exam. Make sure you study during those quiet periods.

5.) It might help you to do your work in the library or somewhere else where people usually work. I find that when I’m around people who are working it motivates me to be more productive.

6.) Take care of yourself. Sleeping and eating are important things, and you will very likely have to prioritize them over schoolwork at some point in your college career. If the two ever come in conflict, please choose your health.

3

1.Speak with new people and don’t afraid to look stupid. Other freshmen are scared as well.
2.Participate in different activities on the campus, enter book club or some student group. It will help you to find new friends.
3.Study more that party. And sleep well (not like me, in summer I always have insomnia :-S )
4.Keep connections with your school friends and family.

4

The first few weeks on campus are extremely critical for all new students. It is during this time that you make critical decisions that will have an effect on the rest of your life.
So here are some of them:
Get to know your roommate and others in your residence hall.
Get Organized.
Find the ideal place for you to study.
Go to class.
Meet with your professors.
Seek a balance.
Take advantage of the study resources on campus.
Take responsibility for yourself and your actions.
Stay healthy/Eat Right.
Seek professional help when you need it.
e prepared to feel overwhelmed.
Good luck!

5

Don’t feel that you need to join in on some of the madness that thousands of emancipated 17-19 year olds may engage in during the first few weeks too. An odd emphasis on hook ups occurs among freshmen the first few weeks – not judging it one way or another – simply be aware.

6
  • Be kind to yourself. It's okay to make mistakes academically and socially.
  • Get exercise every day. Breathe deeply and stay calm. You can do this!
  • Stay away from drinking games and other "party" stuff, especially those things that are designed to get you drunk or wasted quickly. You will make friends without doing things that can turn dangerous unexpectedly. Learn about safe-sex practices (condoms and consent) and find the health center.
  • Find the tutoring services on campus. Find them now, and then use them early and often. If you get your tutors lined up early, then when there's a rush before exams, you will be all set already.
  • You will need to use your best organizing skills to stay on top of the reading and homework. To do so, use your syllabus wisely. Highlight the deadlines (papers due and exams) and reason backwards from those dates to create a schedule in your calendar for when you need to do each thing. Plan in extra time to this schedule. You will need it!
7

As a commuter, make it a point to be on campus occasionally at times other than your classes - evenings, weekends , etc - so that you can build social connections with other students. Also find a comfortable space to relax between classes - a commuter lounge, the student center, library, café etc.

And for everybody, force yourself to go to those awkward social events. Everyone feels uncomfortable at first.

8

Agree that you should participate in the social events for new students. Don’t spend too much time hiding in your room. Even though profs may not take attendance, the good students always go to class anyway.
I

9

Just thought of something else to add:

DON’T run and hide when you do something wrong. I have already had one major incident in each of my first three years of skipping a class out of fear because I didn’t do an assignment.

  • In my sophomore year, I didn’t do it because the website we needed to use was down. Later that evening, a friend from that class told me it was down for EVERYONE and that we’d been given an extension. If I had just gone to class everything would have been fine.
  • Also, last fall my professor wrote on top of a failed exam that she wanted to meet with me, and I put off doing so for two weeks. When I finally did talk to her, she explained that she was giving students who did badly a chance to redo the questions they missed to get partial credit back–but I had missed the chance to do that because the offer was only valid for a week after we got the test back. I definitely learned that lesson.
10
  • Have fun (but be safe...)
  • Explore campus
  • Ask tons of questions
  • Keep up on your reading/work and begin to develop good study habits
  • Be friendly
11

I concur 100% with @Dustyfeathers’ advice about seeking the tutor. You may have been a top dog at HS but there IS NO SHAME in getting tutoring at the college level. Why not get As with tutoring vs. struggle solo and get Bs? No one will care. No one is trying to compete with you any longer. And you’ll reap the benefits.

12

The first week of college is often the most memorable so…

–Get lost and forget where you parked and be shy while asking for directions!
–Visit clubs and seek out friends! The first week is often rush week where clubs recruit and you get to mooch on their free BBQs etc! Try to narrow it down to the clubs you actually want to participate in; some will be nice and might already start treating you out to local eateries :stuck_out_tongue:
–Enjoy your first college classes, there’s nothing more to it and experiences vary by major and schedules.

13

That’s so exciting! I commute as well.

  1. Spend a little time driving around campus, noticing buildings, roads, and of course - the best parking lots. If your campus is large and has a bus system, learn it - it may come in handy when weather is bad or you're running late.
  2. Find a tight knit group or club to get plugged into. This doesn't have to happen during the first week, but take any opportunities to meet people. There will be lots of call-outs and socials in the first few weeks. I also commute, and having a group of friends that is willing to include you into their on-campus activities really helps with the feeling of being disconnected.
  3. On a similar note, don't be afraid to talk to people in class. Sometimes everyone just stares at each other, and even though it can be awkward, breaking the ice is worth it to have acquaintances and friends in classes.
  4. In general, be responsible with your health. My biggest struggle is going to bed on time, and then I'm tired so I end up over-eating (to compensate for the lack of energy). Exercising is helpful for stress relief - see if your college has exercise facilities!
  5. Don't add TOO much during your first week. I tried starting a new job during my first week of college, which I quit because I was too stressed out to handle it. I went back to an old job a fe weeks later. The point is, don't add any unnecessary stress to the first week or two.
  6. As others have mentioned, don't worry about mistakes too much. My first week I thought I had missed one of my classes and freaked out about it, and then found out that I hadn't actually missed it, but that my schedule had changed from earlier in the summer. Even though it ended up OK, it also would have been fine if I had missed the first class. Most professors are kind the first week, especially to freshmen. As far as embarrassment goes, don't worry about that either - if you make an embarrassing mistake, everyone else is just breathing a sigh of relief that it wasn't them, ha ha!
14

**How to make friends: **

  1. During Orientation, go to as many activities as you can. Ask people in your hall way if they are going. Introduce yourself…they are looking for friends too. “Hey, I am Pat…what are you majoring in?”

  2. Go to the Activities Fair and sign up for a bunch of clubs that are of interest. They may not all pan out, but don’t eliminate anything yet. If you are into music/D&D/running/church/whatever, you can find other people who are interested too. Service clubs are great because you spend time working together.

  3. Talk to the people on your floor…Get some cookies and offer them “Hey I have cookies, anyone want some?” and then strike up a conversation about where they are from, what they are majoring in, etc. People like to talk about themselves…let them. Don’t make it too long…move on to others.

  4. At dinner time, ask your roommate/people on your hall if they are going to dining hall. Go with them. See if people in your dorm generally sit in the same area… Join them.

  5. Go to any dorm activities your RA has set up. If you are still having issues, talk to your RA. See if they have ideas. If not suggest that they have one. Maybe a movie and pizza?

  6. Join your dorm’s intramural (or any intramural) team.

  7. Talk to others in your classes…exchange numbers so that if either of you miss you can exchange notes… Ask what someone got on a homework question (that you did too)…once you get to know them, ask if they want to form a study group.

  8. If this isn’t working, go to the Counseling Center…they are ready to help freshman this time of year. Don’t think you are a loser because you have to go…this is something you pay for! Get the benefit! You may need to learn some new social skills. They may also have group talks on Homesickness or fitting in.

  9. Go to ongoing campus activities…concerts/movies/lectures/parties. Invite someone/group of people or just sign up and meet people for activities that might be off campus.

  10. See if your dorm/floor has a GroupMe Group set up…otherwise suggest to someone who is extraverted that it might be a good idea. Then people can send a group text that they are showing a movie in the lounge or are baking cupcakes in the kitchen.

You may notice that all of these things take some action…they are not passive. You have to take initiative. But the risk is small…if someone says no, then just say “Maybe another time”.

** To do well in class**

  1. GO TO CLASS, BUY THE BOOK, READ THE CHAPTERS, AND DO THE HOMEWORK!

  2. Go to Professor’s office hours and Ask this question: “I know this is a really difficult class-- what are some of the common mistakes students make and how can I avoid them?”

  3. If you have problems with the homework, go to Prof’s office hours. If they have any “help sessions” or “study sessions” or “recitations” or any thing extra, go to them.

  4. Form a study group with other kids in your dorm/class.

  5. Don’t do the minimum…for STEM classes do extra problems. You can buy books that just have problems for calculus or physics or whatever. Watch videos on line about the topic you are studying.

  6. Go to the writing center if you need help with papers/math center for math problems (if they have them)

  7. If things still are not going well, get a tutor.

  8. Read this book: How to Become a Straight-A Student: The Unconventional Strategies Real College Students Use to Score High While Studying Less by Cal Newport. It helps you with things like time management and how to figure out what to write about for a paper, etc.

  9. If you feel you need to withdraw from a class, talk to your advisor as to which one might be the best …you may do better when you have less classes to focus on. But some classes may be pre-reqs and will mess your sequence of classes up.

  10. For your tests, can you evaluate what went wrong? Did you never read that topic? Did you not do the homework for it? Do you kind of remember it but forgot what to do? Then next time change the way you study…there may be a study skill center at your college.

  11. How much time outside of class do you spend studying/doing homework? It is generally expected that for each hour in class, you spend 2-3 outside doing homework. Treat this like a full time job.

  12. At first, don’t spend too much time other things rather than school work. (sports, partying, rushing fraternities/sororities, video gaming etc etc)

  13. If you run into any social/health/family troubles (you are sick, your parents are sick, someone died, broke up with boy/girlfriend, suddenly depressed/anxiety etcetc) then immediately go to the counseling center and talk to them. Talk to the dean of students about coordinating your classes…e.g. sometimes you can take a medical withdrawal. Or you could withdraw from a particular class to free up tim for the others.Sometimes you can take an incomplete if you are doing well and mostly finished the semester and suddenly get pneumonia/in a car accident (happened to me)…you can heal and take the final first thing the next semester. But talk to your adviser about that too.

  14. At the beginning of the semester, read the syllabus for each class. It tells you what you will be doing and when tests/HW/papers are due. Put all of that in your calendar. The professor may remind you of things, but it is all there for you to see so take initiative and look at it.

  15. Make sure you understand how to use your online class system…Login to it, read what there is for your classes, know how to upload assignments (if that is what the prof wants).

  16. If you get an assignment…make sure to read the instructions and do all the tasks on the assignment. Look at the rubric and make sure you have covered everything.

  17. If you are not sure what to do, go EARLY to the professors office hours…not the day before the assignment is due.

You might think that this is all completely obvious, but I have read many stories on this and other websites where people did not do the above and then are asking for help on academic appeal letters.

15

I’m copying and pasting this and sending it to all my kids because I think it applies to HS too!

16

I agree with point #14 in post 13 about understanding the online aspects of the course. Make sure you understand how to use Moodle or Blackboard or whatever the online system is called. The course readings may be there and sometimes you are expected to submit homework through there. Make sure you look at the website regularly because the prof might post messages there.