5 Most Important Tips College Freshmen Need to Know

No matter how great someone did in high school - football team, class president, even valedictorian - the playing field levels in college and all bets are off. Achievements in high school will always be relegated to that time prior to college. Life in college becomes a whole new chapter, as freedom looms ahead and freshmen are faced with a list of choices and critical decisions about the next few years that will ultimately impact the rest of their lives.

Welcome to adulthood and the land of opportunity. Freshmen preparing to enter a college or university for the first time this coming fall have a lot to look forward to and a lot to consider because much of what they do over the next four or five years will have a large influence over who they become as adults. That's why it is important to consider these five tips before heading to campus.

Be Prepared to Be Self Sufficient

Without parents or high school teachers telling them what to do and when, a lot of first-year college students find it difficult to meet their commitments. It is vital that college freshmen develop good habits which include taking responsibility for going to class, on time, and meeting course requirements and project due dates. It means being responsible and taking responsibility for choices.

As for 8 a.m. classes, college students who are not bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at that time of the morning may forgo early classes for an all-afternoon schedule. However, keep in mind that most full-time jobs are some variation of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., so preparation now will pay off later.

Take Advantage of All Opportunities

Study groups? Do it. Orientations? Yes, yes, yes. Campus tour? There's no better way for college students to find their way around campus and become comfortable with their new surroundings.

It is important to become involved with campus activities, too. Feeling homesick? Join a student organization, club, or sports team. Want to meet new people? Pledge a sorority or fraternity. Through these types of opportunities, freshmen can...

Develop Lasting Relationships

Now is the time to begin building those life long friendships. Those clubs or student organizations can easily form the foundation of a future career. Interested in a career in politics? Try the debate team or student government. Think social work is your calling? Join a volunteer program. Whatever a student's career plans, there is likely a related association or group.

But don't focus exclusively on peers. It's important for students to get to know their academic adviser - the primary person who can help with class conflicts or with selecting a major - as well as their college professors. These are the men and women who can help when things aren't clear in a class or may have leads on employment opportunities - if not now, than in the future.

Strike a Balance

Being away from home for the first time, it is easy to fall into bad habits. That may mean eating too much fast food, not getting enough sleep or exercise, underage drinking, or any number of other problems.

In fact according to the Spring 2005 American College Health Association Reference Group, the top five obstacles to academic success are stress, cold/flu, sleep problems, concern for friend/family member and depression/anxiety.

And what about the "freshman fifteen?" Every new student is aware of how easy it is to pack on additional weight. Freshmen need to find the right balance between taking care of their mental, physical and emotional health.

Monitor Spending

Never had a debt? Never had a credit card? Never had to worry about a budget? All that can quickly change if freshmen aren't careful.

College students are easy targets for credit card companies because most figure that if a student defaults the parents will pick up the slack. Instead, while students are busy budgeting their time, they need to make sure to budget their money wisely, too. College students should avoid credit cards and only spend what they have. That may mean no Ed Hardy tennis shoes, but with less debt on graduation day, it will be worth it.

College is about learning, not just from books, but from new acquaintances and from the overall experience. So it's important to put in the effort; otherwise, why bother. And for the uninitiated -- those college freshmen just starting out -- it is important to be prepared and utilize these five tips.