Going into my first semester of college (let alone getting through the whole year) was extremely scary for me because I had no idea what to expect. This was my first time going to a new school. Thankfully I was able to learn the ropes quickly and how to utilize that knowledge to my advantage. So for all the first timers starting college or for some of you that are returning to college, here are a few tips that I learned during my first year of college. 1. Knowing the Colleges resources Colleges have a lot of useful campus resources. Workshops, tutoring, mental health and wellness centers (just to name a few!). And guess what? They were all FREE!! so use them to your advantage. Even if it sounds like something you might not need, try it out, you might be surprised. So how do you find out about all of these wonderful resources? Here's a tip: READ. everything around you. seriously. all college campuses have flyers everywhere talking about events and other things that are happening at the college. And if you are a freshman I recommend that you attend any/all welcome events that are happening in your college, so that you have some idea of what resources your college has. 2. Talking to People This may sound extremely obvious, but if you are anything like me you will not go out of your way to talk to people. Or you may try to avoid socialization as much as possible to keep your social anxiety in check. But stepping out of your comfort zone once or twice can and will help you. News flash: there are a lot of people who are afraid of talking to other people too, you're not alone! A majority of the time, especially with freshman, nobody has any idea what they are doing. So just try reaching out to someone even if just to say "Hey, do you know where this place is?" and if they are by them self ask them to come along with you so that you both have some company, and then you won't feel completely lost. Bottom line, life opens doors when you talk to all different kinds of people because it gives you so many opportunities that you didn't have before. 3. Learning how to Study This is very important because going into college I quickly realized that I had no idea how to study for anything. When I was in high school the teachers just gave me what was supposed to be on the test, so I did well on tests because everything I had to know was on one paper right in front of me. In college, sometimes I got a brief study guide, but there were still other things that I needed to know that were not on the study guide, which I learned after the test. Talk about confusion. I didn't know if I should just trust my teacher and rely on the study guide alone (wrong!). Or try and memorize everything important from the book, which could be anything, (wrong!) So I was stuck, going back to my first point about knowing the colleges resources, my school had a lot of workshops that gave a lot of effective tips on how to study. So that was my saving grace. 4. Being Organized/Time Management Organizing is pretty much in my DNA, but when I got to college I really had to sharpen my organizational skills. I took four classes in my first semester of college, which to me didn't seem like a lot. However, I didn't realize that there was a lot to be done in sixteen weeks, so for me, everything seemed pretty fast paced. Then in my second semester I took five classes which was even more hectic! This is when I learned time management. I still haven't mastered the art of time management, but I do pretty well at managing my time. It's all a work in progress. Here's a tip: GET A PLANNER. I swear it will make you more organized. If you have a hard time being organized just start with a planner (it will help!) ;). Those were pretty much the top four things I learned my first year in college, and I'm still learning and working on those things in my second year. Because let's face it, life is hard.... I hope that these tips help you as you are going into your college journey, as they have helped me. :) ~Steph
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Hi, I'm StephanieI am an undergraduate psych major who enjoys creative writing, collecting stationery, and watching The Walking Dead.
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