5 Tips for Incoming College Freshmen

Some practical advice for your Freshman year.

Guest post by Micaela Deitch. See below for more information about this author.

College can be a time of difficult transition.

Many students have never lived away from home before, or have always gone to school in the same place.

Luckily, every college student is in the same boat and faces the same issues when starting school.

In this article, you’ll find tips for making a smooth transition from home life to college life.

Go to your professor’s office hours

If there’s one extra academic effort you should try in college, it’s going to office hours. It shows your professor you care about learning and want to succeed in their class.

Professors often have multiple things to accomplish during class time, and office hours is a way they can offer personal attention to students. They also tend to be more generous in their advice during office hours, because they know you’ve put in time to be there too.

Exercise

In college you have the first opportunity to create your own schedule. However, this commonly leads to late night studying and junk food eating.

Many schools offer students access to gyms or exercise classes for no added charge. Take advantage of these free opportunities, exercise gives you more energy, makes you happier, and helps you sleep at night.

Stay off Facebook

It may be tempting to catch up with old friends while you’re at college, but try not to use Facebook too frequently.

Seeing pictures of other people having fun while you’re alone in your dorm room could make you unnecessarily envious . If you want to see how your friends are doing, check in with them by text or phone calls, it’s more personal, and a more accurate representation of how they’re really doing.

Call your family

Sometimes when a kid moves off to college, the transition is harder on the parents.

It could be hard when you’re having fun with your new friends, but check in with your parents and siblings to let them know you’re doing okay and enjoying your time.

Join an activity

Extracurricular organizations like club sports or student associations are a great way to meet new people in college.

You may be tempted to just meet people in your dorm, but meeting people who have common interests with you can be very fulfilling. Working and collaborating with people naturally leads to closer bonds and friendships.

About the Author:
Micaela Deitch is a sophomore at Georgetown University and a content developer for OpenSesame, where she enjoys learning about education and eLearning training courses.