11 Tips for College Freshman | How To Survive Freshman Year
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This post is all about tips for college freshman. Use these helpful tips I wish I knew to help you to not only survive but thrive in your first year of college.
College is a lot of things — fun, tumultuous, exciting, nerve-wracking — and most importantly, what you make of it!
Therefore, it’s critical to use these tips for college freshman and do your best to make the absolute most of it, try everything, and utilize some of these helpful tips.
Tip #1 - Build Your Story NOT Just Your Resume
Whether it feels like it or not, college is a gift (even if it feels like everything is on fire all the time). Lots of people would kill to have an education and that discovery period of life.
College shouldn’t just be about building up a resume — stuffing it with things that make you attractive to future employers… not at all to downplay the importance of building up an attractive resume … just more of an understanding that this small period of life can also be a period of trying everything you possibly can.
For example, yeah you might not be majoring in anything to do with art — but still joining that art club and experimenting and having fun with it is still a valuable use of time.
You’re a person! You’re allowed to try new things. You’re allowed to experiment. You’re allowed to have fun.
I say this to myself as much as I say it to you.
Absolutely do everything you can to secure a role after graduation — but participating in things just for the sake of fun and enjoyment — or just to try something new is important, and you never know what comes of it!
Tip #2 - College Is What You Make Of It! (You Design Your Experience!)
When you come out of the rigidity of what high school is — college is, well — VERY different.
Suddenly you have a much looser schedule — maybe you have only a class or two per day or a couple of hours — or none at all some days! Maybe you have all morning or all afternoon before a class!
College is typically a lot more flexible than high school. Meaning you get out what you put in. The way you design your schedule MATTERS.
If you decide to spend a whole year of college just going to a few classes and then just holing up in your room watching shows or gaming — that’s going to get old. You need to do things and meet with people.
If college is boring be honest with yourself and examine how much of that is what you can control. Of course, there will be schools with more or less going on and some are stricter than others — but there are always opportunities to add some value and entertainment.
Tip #3 - Become Besties With Your Advisor(s)
Advisors (who are sometimes also professors) are some of the most overlooked resources in college.
And I get it — some are terrible at their jobs .. there’s no way around it. If your advisor isn’t helping you, you HAVE to take matters into your own hands and ask for help.
Get a second opinion
Ask the heads of departments for their advice
Ask to meet more frequently — and consistently follow up
Ask other students for their guidance — ask multiple
If you do find a helpful advisor — latch on. Ask them questions, ask them to meet up, and ask them how to get creative with your schedule.
I swear — I would not have graduated college a whole year early (which saved me $20k and a year of my life) had I not had a helpful advisor whom I met with consistently and asked for help all the time.
Tip #4 - Be Nice — Even When It’s Hard
College is a tumultuous time for many students. There are tons of people, with a lot of different backgrounds, with lots of opinions, with different upbringings, with different experiences.
College is meant to challenge you — and part of that challenge is working with people you aren’t always going to like.
You will have to collaborate with, room with, and be in the same classes/greek life/ clubs/sports/friend groups, etc. as some people who are going to suck — that’s just life.
My advice … be nice. It’s as simple and complex as that.
That doesn’t mean letting them walk all over you or that you have to put up with everything they do.
It means that most of the time, try to take the peaceful route — try to come to compromises, make concessions, pick your battles, etc.
It doesn’t mean not being you — stand up for yourself when you need to — but also be mindful that it almost always works out better if you just try to be nice.
Tip #5 - Network, Network, Network
Most colleges harp on networking — but you’re probably wondering —
“Umm I’m [insert your age], why would these executives, professors, and leaders want to network WITH ME?
… which is exactly what I wondered about, especially during my freshman year.
Logical question. Here are the logical answers:
Consistency is key — chances are, that network executive will come back on campus and if you’re a familiar face, that’s going to increase your chances of being selected, remembered, etc.
Practice — the first time you network with a company, executive, etc. you’re going to be nervous. That’s why you have to practice what you want to say, how to speak with people, how to show interest without being schmoozy, etc.
You never know who you are going to meet, and what that experience can provide for you.
I got my current role at a massive company from being friendly with a professor (who I never even had a class with) by speaking to her class for my business fraternity and just generally always going up and saying “hi”. Her boyfriend worked at the company and he was the one who gave me a recommendation. Swear to God.
Tip #6 - Be Friendly With Your Professors
This follows the same vein as the above — network, network, network.
Professors WANT to help you — even if you aren’t their students anymore. Trust me.
If you maintain a solid, positive relationship with them during and after the class ends you never know what may come of it.
Don’t just be friendly with them because you want something though — people can smell if you’re being disingenuine a mile away.
Be friendly with professors — even the ones who aren’t your favorite because it’s common courtesy and because being kind will get you far in life.
Tip #7 - You’re Going To Get Lonely — And That’s OK Sometimes.
College, especially your freshman year where you’re still getting to know people — or maybe you don’t know anyone — can be extremely lonely at times.
I didn’t know A SINGLE SOUL the day I moved into college … and my roommate never slept in the room a single night — she went off to live with her boyfriend, I’m not kidding.
And there were many days I was so lonely and so miserable. I knew that I HAD to go put myself out there and meet people.
My plan: I FILLED my calendar (a little dry eraser calendar) with every single event my business school was offering. I signed up for I think 7 or 8 clubs my freshman year. I got two jobs. I made an effort to talk to people in my classes. I joined a business fraternity.
By the end of my freshman year, I knew A TON of people and was a lot less lonely.
Look, I totally get it. It’s intimidating to put yourself out there. And there will be days when you get lonely — and that’s totally normal. It’s going to take time and effort but I promise it won’t last forever <3.
Tip #8 - Your Friends In College Will Change
When you first get to college you are going to latch onto whoever you can find — a roommate, people on your dorm’s floor, friends of friends…
And maybe you’ll be lucky and your freshman-year roommate becomes your friend for life!
But for a lot of people, your friends in college change. You won’t live with or near them, you won’t be in the same programs or classes, they will graduate before you, etc.
Also, there are lots of times when friendships just don’t work out and friend groups fade away.
This is just life. It sucks sometimes, but it’s also normal and natural. People change. People grow up. People change their trajectory.
Cherish your friendships and just do your best to be the best human possible.
Tip #9 - The Most Stressful Day - Registration Day And How To Prepare
In my humble opinion — barring finals or crazy events — registration day was consistently one of the most stress-inducing days of the school year.
Why? — Because this is the day that everyone (in your year and school — not university — but more like School of Business or School of Nursing) chooses their classes.
More specifically: the day everyone fights to get into the classes they need to get into.
Even if you don’t want to take a bunch of classes you probably still have a preference for the time the class is offered, the professor teaching the class, etc.
Therefore, my advice is to PREPARE like your life depends on it.
Here are some tips to prepare for registration day:
Prepare before you meet with your advisor
Check Rate My Professor
Plan with your advisor in advance (this is usually mandatory, but still…)
Have the classes you need — and their specific codes are written down and ready to go
Potentially have them typed so you can just copy and paste them in.
Have backup classes in case the ones you want to fill up
Put in the most important class codes first
Have everything pulled up and ready to go the day/time registration opens up
Make sure your computer is charged
Make sure you have good wifi
Tip #10 - You Don’t Need To Bring That Much Stuff
This usually comes with trial and error - but please hear me out. You will see a bazillion lists out there telling you you need a bunch of random crap for your dorm/apartment that is just a total waste of money.
Plus, hauling all that stuff in and out every semester or year is a nightmare.
Save yourself the sanity and try to think cautiously about what you need.
Do you really need 10 different throws, multiple mirrors, tons of decor, random stuff like footstools or a random hang-out chair, etc.?
Chances are — probably not.
Think about the essentials and keep the rest to a minimum.
Tip #11 - Don’t Buy The Book — Until You Are 100% Sure You Need It
You need to understand that the textbook the professor “recommends” on the syllabus is often just something they need to put on there — or it’s something that they only reference sometimes.
It’s so frustrating buying the textbook the professor “recommends” on the syllabus only to waste your money because you never end up using it.
Save your money and WAIT until you are 100% sure that you need it before buying the textbook.
And don’t just buy the first one you see — look around.
Here are a couple of places to look for cheaper textbooks:
I also suggest splitting the cost with other classmates, which I have done and it works well especially if you send pictures of workbook pages or live close by so you can swap or sit together.
College Planning Bundle | College Tips
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This post was all about tips for college freshman.