Freshman year I over scheduled myself. I constantly felt buried by classes, work and my social life. If there’s one piece of adult advice I’d tell my freshman self it would be to keep a lite schedule, giving myself time to explore interests. My schedule was overwhelming freshman year and I hope some of my life hacks can help incoming freshmen.
Life Hack #1:
Take the minimum credits required to be a full time student first semester. It might seem like a good idea to take 18 credits because there are so many great courses, however you have to remember that schoolwork is only a part of what you need to get done. Now that you’re away from home you’ll want time to adjust and less credits will make it much easier.
Life Hack #2
Get a job, but don’t work too much. If you think that for any reason you’ll need more money throughout the semester it’s a good idea to get a job sooner than later. If you wait until the last minute chances are you’ll end up trying to work more than what’s manageable.
Life Hack #3
Make sure to leave free time in your schedule. You’ll meet many friends in college, so leave time to hang out with them. Eventually you will find yourself behind on schoolwork and having spare time to use will make for a better experience.
