Hi, I have a son getting ready to go to college this fall, and I am also writing an article on how to get ready for college (handy, right!) - and I would like to know what advice you wish someone had given you about going away to school for the first time -especially in terms of moving into a dorm, being prepared for the college life, etc.
I’m really curious and looking for real life insight! Thanks!
Classes are a lot harder in college, so don’t expect to take as many as you did in high school.
Talk to as many different people as you can the first few weeks. This is when freshmen are the most open and searching for their new circle of friends.
Get involved on campus! Don’t overdo it, but check-out at least two different student groups/organizations your first semester. It’s a both a great way to get involved with your school but also to make friends!
Don’t worry- you’ll find people with similar interests! But don’t expect to make friends just sitting around!
This. Over and over again. The options you give yourself in the first few months will do wonders over the year. To a lesser extent, apply it to any new year start.
This means going to events…dorm events, freshman events, orientation events, dinner in the dining hall, etcetc
But don’t feel bad about yourself if you emerge friendless from that period. It’s not your only chance.
Your school wants you to succeed. Ask for help when you need it. Take advantage of services like writing centers so that you avoid getting into a jam in the first place. Make sure you understand your assignments: ask questions in class; talk it over with your professor or TA.
-There isn’t bs work, or points for handing in homework to offset a bad test grade. You usually have a few assessments/tests/papers and they make up your grade.
-go to extra help sessions, office hours, TA hours. Come with a question, even if you know the answer, stay and learn from other people’s conversations.
-you may find yourself feeling unhealthy - emotional, depressed, not exercising, irritable - go talk to somebody about it and take care of your health. There are lots of resources on campus.
-you will encounter people in your dorms/activities who are not healthy - people who self harm, who have eating disorders, who have (more than the typical college) drinking problems, etc. Let someone else like your RA know, they know how to get appropriate campus resources involved if/when needed.
-take a class or participate in an activity you’ve never been exposed to before.
-pack less stuff, it doesn’t fit in your dorm room.
-call your parents
-Get a routine going and stick with it.
-Scope out the good, quiet places to study on campus.
-Be careful what you post on your Facebook. Employers might check this.
-Don’t graduate without taking advantage of the many lectures, music, film, and theatre events on campus.
-When a paper is assigned at the beginning of the term, it will seem like you have a lot of time before it’s due. You’ wont—it’ll sneak up on you. Start thinking about it and working on it long before it’s due.
-Go to office hours, at least for every course in your major. If you don’t have anything in particular to discuss, find something.
-Get to know some international students on a personal and social level, even if it’s just joining them in the cafeteria. Participate in cross-cultural or international student organizations. Most American students couldn’t care less, but if you don’t take advantage of this opportunity, you will miss out on one of the most educational experiences you can have at college.
-Try to set aside some time each week to just read for fun (unrelated to your courses).
-If you have any plans to go to graduate school, try to attend a national conference in your field of study.
-Learn to write well. If you took freshman English, or even if you tested out of it, take a more advanced expository writing course. You might not have a chance again to enhance this skill that will serve you well throughout any additional college and grad school years and in your career.
On the academic side, this has good info: http://www.smu.edu/Provost/ALEC/NeatStuffforNewStudents/HowIsCollegeDifferentfromHighSchool
And go to your professor’s office hours with questions.
On the social side: challenge your comfort zone, be safe, call home every now and again, don’t assume everyone else in the firstyear clas is any more comfortable or knowledgeable than you are, start conversations.
Sleep and eat well at least 80% of the time
If you’re paying your own way and trying not to go on loans, get your first job as soon as possible and start saving up. Also, challenge yourself more in high school and take more AP/Post-Secondary classes to get ahead.
Get a job- I found it helped with time management
Relax!!!
Get help when you feel overwhelmed, the counseling center is a great place and nothing to be ashamed of.
Know if there are doctors near you that accept your insurance.
Ditch the high school sweetheart!
Personally, this is what I wish someone told me before I entered college:
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Keep your mind open EARLY to different career paths and do extensive research on them to find what is right for you. Don’t wait until your Senior year to discover the field you majored in/thought you were interested in isn’t all that it is cracked up to be. Job shadow, talk to advisers in different departments, visit the career center, and take advantage of their services.
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Collect the syllabus for each class and use them to map out the semester on a calendar the first week of classes. Keep track of it often so that due dates never sneak up on you. Also, READ through the grading/assignment expectations portion of the syllabus, as this may spare you from any confusion later on in the semester.
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Upperclassman who are in your major are awesome resources for advice on selecting the best professors, study guides, old exams, and advice on succeeding in a class. Don’t be afraid to consult them for help!
“Sleep and eat well at least 80% of the time” I guess this poster didn’t mean 80% of your days and weeks. I-)
Mine are girls. I wrote each a ‘10 things you need to know about college life.’ Some it was things like going to office hours. But also how, living in a dorm, your reputation can get around fast. I meant to watch out for negatives, but it also fits with “Talk to as many different people as you can the first few weeks.” A good rep can spread, too.
What do you mean? Most people take at least eight classes every year (every two semesters), just like in high school.
In high school I had eight classes every day. I would die if I tried to do that now. It may balance out when you look at the year as a whole, but I would agree that most people take fewer classes, and have less class time in general, than in HS.
That’s because college classes only last one semester, whereas high school classes last all year. I don’t understand what it has to do with college classes being more difficult.
When you look at individual semesters, in college you’re juggling four - five classes and in high school it may be eight classes. It just means you’re focusing on fewer courses at a time, not that it doesn’t balance out over all.
Don’t freak out if just before school starts student begins to wonder if they are going fit in, if they are good enough. They will be fine