3 Tips to help Freshman Tackle the First Few Weeks of Classes!

unit 4, mod b

Being an incoming freshman, you can have a range of different emotions—all completely normal don’t worry—from excited, to terrified, to anxious and many more. These feelings could be about meeting new friends, or deciding whether or not to join certain on campus clubs or about what it will actually be like to attend a college lecture! For me I know that last one was incredibly daunting due to the fact that I went to a high school where my largest class size was 16 and now I would be attending lectures with hundreds of other students! What will the professors expect of me?! Where should I do my homework!? What if the classes are super difficult, who is going to help me!? Don’t worry if you’ve asked yourself similar questions you are NOT alone! And I’m here to provide you three useful tips to help ease your mind and get you prepared for, and help you through, the first few weeks of classes!

  1. Get Organized!

It’s super important to start off on the right foot! I suggest going through each syllabus you have been provided and mark down any important dates you have been provided with—like upcoming tests, assignments, or presentations. For me, I have found it useful to do this on my computer calendar so that I can also receive notifications for when I have something due! That way I am able to avoid cramming which here’s another TIP, IT NEVER WORKS!!!! Also, I use this calendar for my social events as well—have to still have fun your freshman year—in order to plan out what assignments I need to get done before going out. Additionally, make sure to organize your course material! You do not want to get to midterms and find that all your important notes are crumbled up into a ball at the bottom of your backpack! Folders, notebooks, computer documents are your friend!!!!

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  1. Find your Spot!

Not everyone studies the same way! Take the first week of classes to figure out where you feel the most comfortable! Maybe you can do work somewhere in your dorm, on one of the many floors of college or memorial library, Starbucks, the student union the options are ENDLESS! But don’t force yourself to study where your friends go because what works for everyone else may not work for you and that is OK! Just find where you feel comfortable and stick with it, you’ll be creating an environment for yourself to be productive that will benefit you for the next four years!

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  1. Go to Class!

Trust me, I know it is very easy to not attend that huge lecture where there are 100 other students and the professor does not take attendance when it’s -2 degrees outside, BUT make yourself go! It will only benefit you to hear what the professor has to say and it will help you to be more engaged in your discussion sections! I cannot stress enough how important it is to go to class and stay off of Facebook during class! So start off your semester going to class and make it a RULE that you don’t miss—unless you’re sick and then hopefully you will be able to contact a friend or the professor and get the notes you missed!

I hope these three tips help you when you begin your freshman year! Don’t be nervous, have fun, and study! This is the start of the best four years of your life!!!

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