Tips from a Freshman College Student

by Paige Williams

1. Orientation and Choosing Classes
   1. Sign up for the first orientation

i.You will get first choice at freshman classes.
ii.Orientation crew will still be excited about new students, and excited to be part of the crew.

1. Consider coming to orientation without your parents.

i.I brought my mom and it was great sometimes, but it made the process more difficult and stressful.
ii.Don’t let your parents pick your classes.
iii.Everyone is different, if you think you can’t do it without your parents don’t hesitate to bring them along.

1. Consider what buildings your classes will be in and where on campus they are.

i.One thing your advisors don’t mention when you are picking classes is considered where the buildings are on campus. There is nothing worst that choosing classes ten min apart that on different sides of campus.

1. Consider having breaks in between classes.

i.The two to three hour breaks is when I get the most homework done.
ii.This is also a great time to finish up homework for the afternoon class that you were too tired to finish the night before. (I have never finished an assignment ten minutes before class started, wink, wink.)
iii.Perfect time for that mid day nap if you live in the dorms.

1. Don’t listen to everything your advisor tells you.

i.Advisors have so many students to take care a lot of the time they don’t have the perfect answer for your individual needs.
ii.My best advising has come from older students with the same major, and they will tell you exactly what professors to take by there experience, most advisors will tell you all the professors are great (News Flash: They aren’t).

1. Don’t take all your hard classes all in one semester.

i.Unless you want to have a miserable semester composed of no social life and sleep deprivation.
ii.Write out you plan to graduate and try to sprinkle blow out classes throughout your hard semester so you don’t go crazy.
iii.No sleep, enough said.

1. Don’t take all your easy classes in one semester.

i.If you take all your easy classes in one semester you will be forced to take all your hard classes in one semester later on.
ii.See above.

1. Consider taking online classes not relevant to your major.

i.Arts and sciences majors especially have to take a lot of classes that are not exactly relevant to our degrees, so it is a good idea to get with a few of your friends and take those classes online. The will be easier and less time consuming.
ii.I am taking Political Science online currently and I have worked a total of approximately 1 hour on it and I’m done with about 3 lessons.

1. Consider testing out of classes not relevant to your major.

i.Again Arts and Sciences have a lot of classes irrelevant to your major. If you think you have the skills to CLEP the class jump on it. It will save you a ton of time and money.

1. Buy the books you know you will need before class starts.

i.Many people will tell you to wait until the first day of class to get your books.  I did that first semester and almost went crazy trying to get books the first week.  This semester I looked at my book list and bought the books I knew I would need for the semester. It was a lot less of a headache.
ii.I have never ordered a book online, I would probably have a mental breakdown, but I have seen others who have and nothing is worse than not being able to your homework because your book hasn’t come in yet. Moral of the story: order online with caution.

1. Getting Involved
   1. Make as many commitments as you can handle as long as you are enjoying them.

i.Be involved in the school, but don’t be involved to the point where you are miserable.
ii.If you can manage your time and are enjoying yourself, go for it!

1. Don’t continue with an organization if it makes you miserable, no matter how good it looks on you resume.

i.If you get involved with an organization and hate it, just quit.
ii.Your time is too precious to spend on something that’s not enjoyable.
iii.There are too many organizations on campus to spend with one that is not making you happy.

1. Get involved with organizations relevant to your major.

i.This will make you more marketable in your career field.
ii.You should enjoy these since it is relevant to your chosen field.

1. Get involved with organizations not relevant to your major.

i.This will show that you are well rounded.
ii.Take something that you love from high school or an outside passion and join a related group, and just have fun.

1. Relationships with Professors
   1. GO TO OFFICE HOURS, especially if you are having trouble in class.

i.Professors are always willing to help.
ii.You will see yourself improve in class.
iii.This will put a name to a face if you are in a large class.
iv.Don’t show up before the day of a test or a week before the end of the semester.

1. Don’t be afraid to email your professor.

i.I have email my professors more times than I can count, and they are always more than happy.

1. Learn how to write a professional email.

i.Always address your professor as Dr. or Professor in your email at all times. Better to flatter than under acknowledge.
ii.Don’t email the day before a test asking for help or copies of notes. It won’t go over well.
iii.Be Professional, you are emailing a professor, not your buddy from summer camp.

1. Ask professors who know you personally for a recommendation letter.

i.Ask professors whom you know your name and who’s class you enjoyed.
ii.Don’t ask a professor for a recommendation letter if you made a poor grade in the class.

1. They are here to help you learn, but they won’t do the work for you.

i.They will help you as much as they can, but will not give you answers.
ii.Professors are not teachers; they are they to give you the information, it is your job to learn the material.

1. Don’t go asking for help a week before finals.

i.Professors won’t be very nice if you failed all your exams and never came to class, and come in a week before finals asking for extra credit.

1. Study Abroad
   1. It’s never too early to start thinking about study abroad.

i.The best time to study abroad for most major is spring or summer of your sophomore year, junior year classes become too specialized to study abroad.
ii.The earlier you start is the easier it will be to get all the paperwork together and plan your graduation with study abroad included.

1. Get a passport.

i. You never know when a chance to go out of the country will happen and you don’t want to have to wait 4-6 weeks.

1. Don’t wait too long to decide to study abroad.

i.Once you get to be a junior study abroad becomes difficult due to specialized classes.

1. Don’t be afraid to explore a new place on your own.

i.The world isn’t safe, but don’t let that stop you. Go. Explore. Adventure. Learn.
ii.The world isn’t safe. Be cautious at all times.
iii.Your parents will worry about you whether you are 15 miles away or 5,000 miles away.

1. Other little bits of advice
   1. Don’t be afraid to change your mind.

i.Better to change your mind freshman year than senior year, and a lot easier to change now than in 10 years.

1. Make a professional college resume.

i.I would say this is one of the most important things you have to do the first semester of college.
ii.Should only be one page, and only one.

1. No one in college cares if you won jv district tennis freshman year of high school.

iii.Only include high school things if they are very impressive or relevant to position.
iv.Make a basic resume that you can change if to fit an array of positions you may apply for.

1. Find a older student with your major to mentor you.

i.My best advising has come from older students with my major, They have been where you are and have great insight on professors and classes, and might even have old notes.
ii.Having a mentor gives you someone to ask questions, and give encouragement when you don’t know what you are doing with your life.

1. Volunteer.

i.Help others, and have a great thing to add to your resume.
ii.Keep track of all volunteering, shadowing, and internships you do.

1. You think you will remember all of the times and dates you volunteer, trust me you won’t. I tried.
2. Apply, Apply, Apply.

i.Newsflash, you won’t get everything you apply for so the more you apply the better chance you have to receive an award or position.
ii.Apply for positions as soon as possible so you don’t have to rush. I have extensive experience with application deadlines, and it is not an enjoyable experience.
iii.Use old essays if possible, will make writing 10 application essays a lot easier.

1. Don’t send the same essay to the same organization twice.
2. Give honest answers on applications and in interviews.

i.Review committees don’t want to read about how you volunteer with the homeless every Saturday, when you really sit in your pajamas watching Netflix.
ii.The more honest and personable you are the more likely you are to get the position.
iii.Interviewers want a hard worker that can be an asset to the organization, not a robot that can recite an answer word for word.

1. Have a go to professional business outfit, and a business casual outfit.

i.Digging in your closet at midnight to find something to wear for that interview that was moved to tomorrow that was supposed to be next week is a nightmare.

1. Consider how casual or professional the event/interview will be, and when in doubt always go nicer.
   1. As Oscar Wilde said, “ You can never be overdressed or over educated,” but it is somewhat embarrassing to show up to a casual interview for a summer camp in a suit and tie.
2. Save everything.

i.You would be surprised all of the notes from high school, and previous semesters that you can look back at and have a better understanding of concepts.
ii.Save every essay you write, because prompts repeat, and you will often be able to piece together a completely new essay from all the things you have already written, and save a lot of brainpower.

1. Live in the dorms if at all possible.

i.Living in the dorms, has possibly been my favorite part of college, you meet you best friends, and what is better than catching a nap in between classes or rolling out of bed 20 minutes before a class and making it with time to spare.
ii.Dorms are a great transition from living with your parents, to living by yourself with roommates in an apartment.

1. Don’t be afraid to go to the rec.

i.You are paying for it after all.
ii.Yes, you won’t be the most fit person there, but most people are just like you with the goal of just getting more in shape.
iii.Avoid the freshman 15. Enough said.

1. Read your Tech Announce.

i.That being said, just read the titles unless something catches your attention.
ii.Most of the time it is useless (like how to purchase Sesame Street Live tickets (Has actually been on the Tech Announce)), but sometimes you find a really awesome event or opportunity that you would not have known about otherwise.

• Use a planner.

i.When you barely have time to sleep, a planner is a great way for you to remember due dates and upcoming events.
ii.I love to color code my planner depending on the event/due date and it really helps me get a overall picture of what I have on my plate that week.

1. Network.

i.It really is about whom you know not what you know.
ii.Find people and resources the will help you on your journey to success.

• Find a place on campus you love to study at.

i.I personally like to study in my room and at the Barnes and Noble at the SUB but hate the library, but it depends on who you are and how much background noise you can handle.
ii.It can be in your dorm room, the library, the SUB, or the math building. The list goes on and on. Just pick an environment that gets those creative juices flowing.
iii.When you get to this place, you know it is an environment where you can get things done.
iv.Consider Internet connection when finding your go to study area.

• Get enough sleep.

i.I am still working toward this one.
ii.How can you ace that math test tomorrow if you have stayed up until 3 am every day for the last week.

1. Don’t forget to have time for yourself.

i.If you want to watch a Netflix episode a couple of times a week, do it. You are working hard on classes and deserve a little time to enjoy yourself and relax.
ii.This can include anything from dinner with friends, going to the rec, video games, reading, Netflix, or whatever else you do for relaxation.

1. Go to sporting events.

i.Even if sports aren’t your thing, get some friends together and make an appearance, odds are you will have fun.
ii.Football games are awesome no matter who you are.

1. Throw tortillas (I have not, but I really want to, they are one of my favorite parts of football games).
2. A lot of people dress up for football games, but games are just as fun in shorts and a t-shirt, and more confortable.
   1. If you want to dress up, do it. I commend you.
3. Make time for a social life.

i.Grades are important, but the majority of your college memories will come from the time you spent with your friends.
ii.Of course you can keep up with high school friends, but there are over 30,000 people on campus, so go make a new friend.

1. Be yourself.

i.You are no longer defined by who your parents are or who you were in high school.
ii.Go be who you want to be.

1. If that means reinventing yourself, do it. If it means being a better version of your high school self, do it. No one is telling you who to be and how to live, so do and be what you want.