Starting college can be a very scary time in one’s life. Leaving your bubble to start a clean slate is exciting, but nerve-racking all at once. If you’re anything like me, you’ll want to be completely prepared in order to have the best first semester possible. Here are a few tricks of the trade to get you headed in the right direction.

1. Go to Class

   • Contrary to what some people may demonstrate, your parents aren’t paying tuition for you to go out, party, and sleep through your classes, so the best way to guarantee success is to show up to class and put the work in. Studying and doing your homework are both very important too, but showing up is a great start. Going off of that, take classes that interest you… even if they are at 8 am. It will be way more enjoyable in the long run and will make it easier to go.

2. Attend as much as you can

   • At the beginning of the semester, I suggest you broaden your horizons to more than what you are familiar with. Go to a sporting event you usually wouldn’t, join a club, sit next to someone you don’t know at the library. Doing these things will help you make friends and have a more enjoyable experience as opposed to sitting in your dorm room waiting for someone to ask you to hang out. Who knows, maybe you’ll really enjoy something you never thought you would.

3. Know that if you don’t love it at first, it is totally ok

   • It happens every year. Someone from your friend group or high school class isn’t enjoying their first semester/year, and if that’s you, that is totally ok! If you are feeling homesick a few tricks that help is to bring pictures to hang up on your walls of your friends and family from home. Making your dorm room your own helps make you feel at home as well. A care package from home never hurts either! (I opted out of the food packages as an attempt to save myself from the inevitable Freshman 15).
   • Another easy thing to do is remember that none of your friends are at home and that some are probably feeling the exact same way you are. Finally, it’s the 21st century… everyone is just a facetime call away to make you feel right at home.
     

4.  Stay organized

   • I am a big advocate for staying organized. There is no worse feeling than not getting something done on time because you forgot, so the best way to avoid this is to stay on top of everything. I love to make reminders, lists, and calendars for all sorts of different reasons. When I’m at school, I break it down into four different plans.
     • daily planner
       • hand-written and electronic. I carry a planner in my backpack where I write down my homework and test/essay dates while I have my calendar on my computer to log sorority events, family dinners, me time, and study hours. Color coordination also helps a lot so everything doesn’t blend together.
     • monthly desk planner
       • I hang a calendar against my desk wall to plan out my month ahead. This helps so I don’t double book myself far out in advance.
     • semester at a glance
       • I learned about this planning technique in a class I took about time management first semester of my freshman year. You can find printable versions online but it is a long calendar with the entire semester on it. I then fill in important dates, color coordinated by class and then hang it next to my monthly calendar so I know when I’m going to have a super busy week ahead of time.
     • To Do Lists
       • If you know you have a bunch of errands to run, write them down! It’ll ensure you stick to getting them all done… plus, it feels great to cross things off of a list 🙂

5. Set up Roommate Rules

   • it is better to do this before any arguments take place, that way they are avoidable. It is always good to make sure you two are on the same page with your goals for the semester and how you can help each other achieve them.
     

6. Vitamin C is Key

   • It is SO easy to get sick at college from everyone living so close to each other and being in a new area, so stay ahead of the game. From day one I put a vitamin c packet in my water bottle every morning to boost my immune system, and I still got sick quite a bit. Try to eat healthy during the week to help your body as well!

7. Be Safe

   • This one may seem like a no-brainer, but every year there are a plethora of horror stories that occur on college campuses. Never go anywhere/uber alone, make sure you and your friends don’t get out of control, and trust your instinct.

8. Most importantly… Have fun!!

   • This is one of the few times in your life you have the chance to completely reinvent yourself. Don’t take anything too seriously and meet new people! You’ll meet some of your life-long friends here and the four years go by fast, so make the most out of all of them. College, especially freshman year, is a blast. Make the most of your time and don’t forget to have some fun