Looking for some tips for dealing with your freshman phase? Don’t go anywhere! Here’s an amazing list of things that you shouldn’t miss if you’re entering a college. We hope you may be able to prepare yourself for the forthcoming uncertainties and get through all odds with positivity. Thus, by the time you graduate, you would be able to direct your life towards a positive, brighter, and better side.
P.S- We have further elaborated each given points for your better understanding.
1. Plan and keep up your motivation.
2. Get acquainted with the chosen subject syllabus.
3. Know what’s in the time table.
4. Make new friends.
5. Check your expenses. (money management)
6. Get to know your professors.
7. Attempt For 100% attendance.
8. De-stress with meditation.
9. Stay organized and never procrastinate.
10. Set practical goals.
11. Be punctual, always.
12. Ensure to utilize all the provided study resources at college.
13. Meet and get to know your academic counselor.
14. Enroll in extracurricular.
15. Work hard for better grades.
16. Make the most of the freshman phase.
17. Stay healthy.
18. Steal time for yourself.
19. Find mentors to learn better.
20. Learn to overcome homesickness.
Freshman year marks a phenomenal start – a new beginning of another academic phase. This new start brings with it a saga of perks and freedom. You get to pick the subjects that incline with your career, meet with people with similar interests and aspirations, indulge in an array of activities. Most importantly, you’ll make crucial decisions about your life during this phase. Whether you were the class topper, the president of your school committee, bandleader or, captain of the school sports team, or a backbencher, everything will become insignificant once you enter the college.
The type of mindset you develop during your freshman phase will impact tremendously throughout your college life. The common misconception that prevails is that ‘college students require less guidance or no guidance at all’. This notion should be changed. The initial phase of the college days is the most vulnerable. It’s when a student decides on life’s biggest decisions. Without knowledge, guidance, and moral support, a student often ends up with wrong decisions. Thus, despite the freedom, you should be cautious while making decisions since the beginning of your college life.
1. Plan and keep up your motivation.
The first day of your college can be quite exciting and rush. From finding your designated classroom to familiarizing yourself with the new premises and the aura, you won’t get an excuse to linger on other thoughts. However, chances are evident that you could be quite exasperated with the lengthy lectures, assignments, and the unwanted breaks in between. But, hey? Don’t stress too much. Decide on what you want to do during the free time – whether you plan to go the library, grab a bite from the canteen or, simply chat with your friends, just live the moment rather than stressing out. Stay motivated because it comes from within.
2. Get acquainted with the chosen subject syllabus.
So, you’ve picked the subject as per your career bent. But, your venture does not end here. The next best thing that you can do is to dig a little more into your subject syllabus. Doing this can help you get a clear acumen into the subject that you are going to graduate in. You may come across many unfamiliar subject topics, but that’s all right! It’s always a good thing to have a general understanding of your subject course. This will help you get prepared for the same.
3. Know what’s in the time table.
Once the enrollment date is sealed, you will get your timetable. As a freshman, it’s pretty crucial to keep a pen and a notebook handy. Because you never know when you’ll need them to write down the notes, important dates that are randomly announced, or anything like change in the timetable, etc.
4. Make new friends.
It’s completely normal for you to feel awkward to initiate the conversation with someone you’ve met for the first time. Just ignore all the bias notions about the entirely different person. Don’t hesitate to speak with someone you’ve met in the college. Ensure to know your classmates. One of them definitely will be your study partner.
5. Check your expenses. (money management)
Learn to manage your money because you should. Make sure to draft a budget and look for new techniques to save money. Cut out all the unnecessary expenses. Don’t purchase things that you can do without. If you get a credit card, make sure you use it wisely. Do not over exceed your expenses.
6. Get to know your professors.
Oftentimes, students get intimidated with the very thought of meeting with the professors. But, hello? don’t be. Remember, they are there to help you. Visit your professors. Ask for help. They will render you all the academic support and guidance that you require in your subject. You can even ask for recommendations. A professor can help you decide the right path and make the right choices whenever you need one.
7. Attempt For 100% attendance.
Yeah, you read that correctly. You’ve cracked the entrance test and paid money to get in there. So make sure you go to class even when there would be no one to tell you to be consistent in your classes. The more you go to classes the better you will learn, get your assignments done, and have regular attendance. You don’t need to run after your classmates for course materials or, notes for the classes you have missed.
8. De-stress with meditation.
Meditation work wonders for stress. You don’t have to be a spiritual person to practice meditation or yoga. You can meditate during your recess. The best time to meditate is in the morning. Just set your alarm 10 minutes early and devote at least 5 minutes for yoga or meditation. You’ll be stressed and thus you need something effective and powerful to soothe your mind and soul. And, the meditation is the exclusive medium.
9. Stay organized and never procrastinate.
Procrastination is a common blunder that a majority make when it comes to studying and being organized. Never put off your assignments and essays to the eleventh hour. Remember that the word counts for college-level are often higher. The subjects and syllabus pattern are often vast, detailed, and deep. So, you should start working on your tasks since the time it’s assigned. Accumulating will only increase the pressure that will induce stress.
10. Set practical goals.
Set realistic goals always. Be it social goals or academic goals. Be realistic even when the world tells you that nothing is impossible if you work for it. Setting your aspirations too high can be overburdening and might leave you disappointed when you fail to accomplish it. And when your goals are too low or small, you will get too much time with you, which can lead to negative thoughts. Set your goals high but not extreme that is beyond accomplishment.
11. Be punctual, always.
Adopt the habit of being on time. Walking late into the class or in the middle of the lecture can be quite distracting. And, above all, your professors will hate nothing else but students walking in late to their class. Remember, punctuality is an important trait that you should learn because it will help you in life.
12. Ensure to utilize all the provided study resources at college.
Today, most of the colleges and institutions have tutoring facilities, modern labs, libraries, etc. In case, if you face any kind of problem regarding your subject or, if you want to explore beyond what you know, you can obtain help or take advantages of the provided resources by your college.
13. Meet and get to know your academic counselor.
Your academic counselor is the best person to help you adjust, explore, and thrive in the transition phase of college life. The academic advisor will help you through so many things. Such as – adjusting to the campus life, getting access to the provided campus resources, scholarship opportunities, financial support services, including another list of things. The advisor can also help you regarding the course conflicts. Whether you want to add or drop a subject, picking a major and even scheduling of classes for forthcoming semesters.
14. Enroll in extracurricular.
Whether you love theatre or outdoor activities, there always are a good number of options in college. Though the information for signing up for the extracurricular activities are announced especially at freshers’ it is a really good idea if you do a bit of research about the same. You can check the student union section at the college website. If you have any queries regarding the enrollment procedure or anything similar, you can send your queries via the provided contact info that are provided for each department.
15. Work hard for better grades.
Well, your potential is not measured by the numbers that you get on your exams. But it’s a good thing if you set goals for better grades, better rank and accomplish them. Also, there are some professions where your grades matter. If you wish to go for higher studies to the top institutions, they set a criterion for getting enrolled. Be it through the marks that you have scored in your qualifying entrance exam or, in your graduation.
16. Make the most of the freshman phase.
Freshman can be quite exciting. The initial phase aka the freshman week calls for a host of celebrations and major events of the year. Thus, there is always more than you expect on the freshers’ week. Right from the list of exciting events to the announcement of the valuable information that can help you adjust in college life.
17. Stay healthy.
Take care of your health. Amid the rush, you might end up depending on the junk food and mostly be restless. Ensure you eat healthily and develop the habit for your upcoming days. Get enough sleep and stay hydrated. Stick to a balanced diet. Keep healthy, you will feel good about yourself.
18. Steal time for yourself.
We – human beings need to socialize but, it is also crucial to make time for oneself. Thus, it’s entirely okay to decline invitations and cancel plans when you need a break. So make plans on your own when you feel the need. Take time for your hobby, ordering food online, or simply relax by watching your favorite TV show, or by reading the book you wanted, or just take a needful goodnight rest!
19. Find mentors to learn better.
College life brings you a step closer to your aspired career. Get in touch with the professionals so that you can learn and grow towards your aspired path. If you look at the world’s most successful personalities – be it a musician, politician, writer, businessmen, they all found a mentor pretty early in their lives. Your mentor could be your teacher, a professional in your aspired domain, your elders, etc.
20. Learn to overcome homesickness.
It’s okay to get homesick. Most of us do at one time or the other. But, don’t stay enslaved to it or anything as such. Make a call to your parents, siblings whenever you can or feel like. Try to enjoy this new experience as much as you can. Stress might prevail at times, but learn to overcome it always.
