Everyone is nervous coming into their first year of college. Even those who say they aren’t secretly are. Moving to a new city, living in a new environment, and being surrounded by new people is scary enough, so here are some ways to make your freshman year a little easier.
- Use a planner – or at least something to stay organized.
I started using a planner the first couple weeks of class but found it annoying to constantly have to rewrite the same things every day. I made a system with the Sticky Notes app on my computer to stay organized and had a note for each class. It kept me organized all year without fail!
- Highlight your notes and develop a system.
First semester, I didn’t highlight my notes at all, but started to second semester when I saw one of my friends doing it. It helped a lot with studying for tests. I recommend highlighting vocabulary words with one color, headings with another, and important information with another. It’s also a good way to review your notes after lecture.
- Go to class.
Now, this one may seem pretty straightforward, but it’s important. I know too many people who skipped class all the time and were then rushing before a big test to try to learn everything in one night. Take it from someone who seldom skipped class – it helps in the long run if you go, even though you may not want to in the moment.
