By: Jackie Drake
A new school year means new students and brand-new freshmen navigating college campuses across the world. If you are a part of this new group, don’t worry! Listed below are some freshman tips to help you have a smooth transition and a successful semester.
#1 Map out your classes
Map out your classes ahead of time and do a test run before the official first day of class to ensure you don’t get lost. This will help you become more confident and less anxious during the first week of classes. Doing a test run will also allow you to see what study spots or cafés are nearby that you could use between classes.
#2 Have a Planner
It is essential to have some sort of planner where you can write important due dates down so you don’t fall behind. With multiple classes that all have different assignments and test dates, it can get hectic trying to remember when everything is due. You could also use the calendar in your phone. You can’t always rely on professors to remind you of due dates, so you must have some sort of a reminder for yourself.
#3 Make Friends
Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and make friends. Everyone is just as nervous as you. Take that first step and sit next to someone you don’t know. Join a club or an organization! It can be very beneficial to have friends in similar classes so you can study together and share notes.
#4 Don’t Skip
Don’t skip class! It can be very easy to fall behind once you miss a day. Save your “skip” days for when you are really sick or need a mental health day. Pro tip: keep your professors in the loop by emailing them if you are going through a tough time, they may be willing to work with you.
#5 Ask for Help
Finally, and most importantly, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Utilize your professor’s office hours for when you are confused about a lesson or if you need help with projects or papers. They have office hours for a reason and want to help! Your grade will thank you!
We hope that these tips will help incoming freshmen have a great semester. If you liked any of the sweaters seen in this post, you can browse them here.