Starting college on the right foot is a really important thing for any freshman to do. The first few weeks and months that you spend in your new environment can basically determine what kind of experience you are going to have for your years there, so you want to make as good a start as possible. Here are 10 of the best tips that college freshmen should know to make the most of their first year on campus.
- Maintain a budget - make sure you do not overspend too quickly and end up having to sacrifice social time to save money later on in the school year. Stick to a sensible budget to manage your money and you will be just fine.
- When packing, less is more - remember you are moving into a dorm that is going to be your primary residence and it will be smaller than your room at home. That means you cannot take every single childhood soft toy and little league trophy with you!
- Be friendly - making a good first impression with your new class and roommates is absolutely vital, especially in the first few weeks of college when friendship groups begin to form and long lasting bonds are made.
- Don't hide your stress - the worst thing you can do to combat your inevitable college stress and anxiety is keep it a secret. Instead, try to be proactive and combat it with things like yoga and even talking to your peers about your worries.
- Keep a healthy diet - try to avoid that stereotype of the freshman 15! You don't have to eat unhealthily just because you are living in a dorm, make sensible decision about food and you will feel the benefits.
- Consider Greek life - if you are worried about making friends in college, then joining a sorority or fraternity might be a good option for you. It gives an immediate community to be a part of.
- Find cheap text books - the price of college text books can be extremely high if you buy brand new, so try to be savvy about it and shop around for second, third, even fourth hand versions of the books that you need for your classes!
- Or even better, get them free - when you are searching for your text books before the semester starts, always be on the lookout for free e-book versions of certain publications. They are much more common that you might realise.
- Utilize technology - don't just use technology for your personal and social media life. Make the most of organizational and education apps to help you get your college life together. You can schedule your studying and your extra curricular commitments in all in one pocket sized planner.
- Don't beat yourself up - the transition from high school to college can be very difficult, both socially and academically. Don't be down on yourself if you happen to receive a bad grade for an assignment, you learn from your mistakes and try to improve for the next essay, it's not the end of the world!
