Transitioning from high school to college is not easy. You are leaving behind what you have been comfortable with for four years of your life, but whether you choose to stay close to home or move across the country, I promise it will be the best years of your life.
You will start off college with a clean slate, establishing a new sense of independence, meeting new friends all while finding yourself in the process. However, you must keep in mind that high school success may not always transition over to college. In order to be successful, the decisions that you make going into college will have an affect on the rest of your time there.
I have compiled a list of tips and tricks to make this transition period a little smoother and ensure you are enjoying your time in college, while staying on track and keeping yourself grounded.
1. Attend Student Orientation
Usually this is one of the first events your school will host to help first year students become more familiar with the campus and college life. Even though it may be optional, I highly recommend attending because it can be valuable in many ways. You’ll be able to meet new friends and establish these relationships early on. This can help expand your circle of connections and make you feel more at home because most of these students are in the same boat as you.
2. Establish Boundaries With Roommate
Living with another person can be fun, but stressful at times. However, if you establish clear communication with your roommate from the start about expectations, living arrangements, habits, personal preference, and other things you may want to address, it could save you a few headaches in the long run.
3. Connect With Your Professors
Most professors have office hours for students to drop-in with any questions they have about the course or want to chat about something. By taking advantage of this time, you’ll be able to get to know the professors and they might be able to help you out with any issues to connect you with an internship opportunity later down the line.
4. Connect With Your Academic Counselors
Visit your school’s career center to speak to your school counselors for important information like, course planning, career resources, internship opportunities, and other details to ensure you are on track for graduation.
5. Time Management
With newfound independence, it can be hard to juggle everything from attending classes, social life, studying, and other aspects of college life, but maintaining a healthy balance is crucial. You need to understand that sometimes it’s okay to say no and prioritize certain things over others, even if you really want to say yes.
6. Stay Organized
Keeping track of your classes and assignment due dates is extremely beneficial to stay on top of everything. You can use a planner or digital calendar like Google Calendar to plan out your weeks to help you visualize how your day-to-day is going to look like. This will help you from overbooking activities and burning out.
7. Go to Class
I know this is an obvious one, but there will be times where you’ll be tempted to skip that dreadful 8 am morning class and want to sleep in. Don’t give in to the temptation because that might turn into an unhealthy habit that will be hard to fix. It’s not worth it.
8. Self Care/Mental Health
Studying can be stressful, so it’s okay to set aside some time for yourself to relax and unwind from being in class all the time. It’s always good to take a break from studying and engage in your favorite hobbies, like cooking, watching your favorite show, or playing music.
9. Be Open to New Possibilities
If you go into college with an open mind, you’ll go far. There will be many doors that you’ll be able to explore. Don’t be afraid to try new things that are outside of your comfort zone because it might end up being the best experience of your life.
Regardless of what anyone has told you, freshman year definitely counts. Maintaining a healthy balance of studying and having a social life will help you make the most out of your college experience.