Starting college can be an exciting but stressful experience. While you’re taking the first step toward your future career and transitioning into adulthood, it’s also an entirely new experience and it's normal to have nerves.
Instead of being nervous, prepare for your first year with these tips for college freshmen to not only survive but thrive in your college experience.
1. Get Organized
High school is highly structured with scheduled classes, strict attendance policies, and general oversight from teachers and administrators. Teachers are hands on and lead you through your assignments and deadlines, tracking your progress.
College is a more independent experience. Professors outline what’s expected of you, the required readings, and assignment due dates, leaving you to prepare for the course and stay on track. The rest is up to you, so use tools like a wall calendar, organization app, or schedule organizer to keep track of your responsibilities.
2. Learn How to Budget
As a college student, you will be responsible for your finances. Whether you’re paying out of pocket or relying on scholarships and loans, you will need to manage your money on your own with a budget.
For many students, managing money is a new experience. There are plenty of tools to help with budgeting, or you can rely on something simple like a spreadsheet to track your expenses and savings. You could even consider taking a personal finance course to learn the basics, which will serve you in school and in your entire adult life.
3. Don’t Skip Class
Without your attendance tracked like it is in high school, it’s easy to blow off classes to sleep in or go to a party. This is where your self-discipline comes in. Avoid the temptation to skip your classes. Attendance is crucial to your success.
Of course, things may come up. If you have a legitimate reason to miss a class, talk to your professor. They may grant you extra time for extenuating circumstances, such as illness or a death in the family, and help you stay on track.
4. Use Office Hours
While your professors may not have time to hover over you like a high school teacher might, that doesn’t mean you’re on your own. They expect independence, but they’re always there to guide and support you with the course if you need it.
Getting to know your professors early in the course will only help you out in the future. Professors keep office hours for the purpose of meeting with students, so make sure you take advantage of that.
5. Get to Know Your Advisor
Your advisor is one of the greatest assets in your college experience. They will help you plan your course schedule, register for courses, choose your major, and more. If you do run into academic problems, they’ll assist you in the best course of action.
6. Put Yourself Out There
Whether you’re attending a school near your home or you’re on the other side of the country, it takes a certain degree of independence to adjust. Your peers will become your new support system, so you need to put yourself out there and meet new people.
If you’re more introverted, it always helps to find others who share your interests. Check out the extracurriculars on campus or in the local community that can introduce you to new people with common interests.
7. Set Goals
Some students breeze through high school, only to find that college courses demand much more time and effort. Instead of assuming your courses will be easy, set goals for high grades and make sure you work as hard as you can to reach them.
Along those lines, resist the urge to overload your schedule with hard courses just because you were an overachiever in high school. While you may like the challenge, filling up your schedule with hard courses right out the gate can set you up for stress. Balance your harder courses with a few fun or elective classes to ensure you can put in the time you need to succeed.
8. Don’t Stress Being Undecided
Some students enter college knowing exactly what they want to major in and the career path ahead of them. If you’re not sure what you want to major in or what career is right for you, don’t worry about it. College is a time to explore your interests while learning who you are.
Gen eds are a great opportunity to try out different subjects and see what connects with you. Speak to your advisor about your gen ed requirements, but look for courses in unfamiliar topics to expand your learning until you figure out a major.
9. Save Time on Your Degree
Your general education courses, which cover broad subjects like math, science, history, and humanities, make up about a third to a half of a bachelor’s degree. These courses are largely the same regardless of the school, so you have an opportunity to accelerate your degree.
Online, self-paced gen ed courses with platforms like Sophia can help you get a jump on your degree program before you enroll in college or take advantage of summer time and school breaks. You can take these courses at any time, from anywhere, all at your own pace. When you’ve completed a course successfully, you can submit them for transfer. Just be sure to check with your advisor about the school’s transfer policy and what gen eds you need.
10. Use Campus Resources
Feelings of loneliness, isolation, not belonging, and homesickness often affect freshman college students. There will be times when you miss your family, partner, or friends back home, feel out of place, or become overwhelmed, but it’s important to know the difference between occasional emotional stress and a need for professional help.
Many colleges and universities have mental health resources and counseling to help students with their emotional needs while they’re attending school. If you’re feeling like you need someone to talk to, don’t hesitate to reach out to your advisor or explore these resources on your own.
11. Balance Work and Play
The college experience is a blend of academic development and a lot of social experiences. It’s important to balance the two. If you spend too much time enjoying college life outside of the classroom, you could fall behind on your studies. However, focusing too much on academics is a recipe for burnout and may cause you to miss out on some of the best times of your life.
Prioritize your studies, but make sure you leave some time for social events, hobbies, extracurricular activities, and other “just for fun” experiences that create memories.
Prepare for Freshman Year with Sophia
These tips for freshman college students should help you get a strong start in your first year. If you want to pave the way for your college learning, Sophia can help you complete some gen eds and transition smoothly into college life. Start your free trial today at the link below!
