Biggest Surprises for College Freshman

Leaving home and heading off to college is fairly scary for even the more self sufficient teenagers because this experience brings on a whole different level of independence. There is no one there to wake you up in the morning (unless you have a really nice roommate); there is no one to hold your hand. Newbies on a college campus are going to have a good amount of eye opening moments and surprises during their first semester.

The first thing new students get excited over is being able to pick their own classes and class times. Now, students have the option of sleeping in if they wish, or sticking with their normal morning routine. What many students do not think of during the registration process is waking up. Since no one is there to wake them up in the morning, they need to be able to do so themselves.

College is not like high school in the aspect that your professors are not going to care if you are not in class. If you do not wake up or just feel like doing something else instead (shopping, video games, etc.), your professor is not going to wait to start class until you get there, or pause for a moment to call and see where you are. Some professors have attendance policies in which it is up to you to follow, while others may have no policy at all. Bottom line is that you can go to class, or you can stay in your dorm, it really does not matter to anyone except for maybe whoever is footing the bill.

Professors also could not care less if you fail to turn in an assignment. Many do not accept late assignments, so if you do not get your act together, you will be in for a rude awakening come midterm grades.

When you do not understand something, it is up to YOU to get help. Your professor is not going to hold your hand. If you ask for help, chances are, they will do the best they can to help you, or at least direct you to someone who can. Do not be afraid to ask for help...if you need a tutor, get one. You (or someone who cares about you) are paying for you to get an education which will lead to a good job; if you do not know anything you will not get the job. Go, learn, get help if necessary, and do well.

Unlike high school, you cannot just scoot by with the minimal amount of studying, if any at all. If you want to do well in school, or graduate for that matter, you are going to have to put time in it. Study on your own, form study groups, whatever it takes. You cannot cast aside your homework assignments either, so you will need to work on time management. In high school, many students had a schedule which went something like this: go to school, participate in after school activities (sports, clubs, etc), go home, eat dinner, do homework, go to bed. No one is making you keep that schedule anymore, though you should. When you are don classes, use your free time to get your work done. Do not put everything off until the last minute. Also do not be afraid of going to the library...it is not just for geeks. Overall, a dorm room is not a good place for studying, so if you really want to concentrate, hunker down in the library.

Along the lines of time management, when students get to college they tend to overwhelm themselves. It is great to join organizations in college, if not just for fun, for resume purposes, but do not completely overwhelm yourself with them. In high school, many students joined organizations simply to have them to put on their college applications, which was fine, but now you have a lot more to worry about. Do not join ten organizations because you simply will not have enough time for them AND schoolwork. I suggest joining no more than four, and getting deeply involved (leadership) in at least two of them.

The stereotypical party phase of college students generally is not a myth. There are parties, and chances are, you will be invited to some of them. Keep in mind that most new college students are under the legal drinking age of 21. You can get caught, so if you are going to drink, do it in moderation and be careful...you do not want to get caught. If you are 21, you still need to be careful. Remember that you are in college to get an education, but it is okay to have a little fun in the meantime.

I saved the biggest surprise for last: the value of money. Up until now, many teenagers just asked mommy and daddy for money and it was handed to them. Others may have worked for their own money, but still have not fully grasped the concept of money. You are in college now and probably not working anymore (or at least if you are, you definitely are not working or making as much as before). This is not the time to go out and buy the newest CD or video game releases. Do you remember older generations talking about starving college kids? They were not kidding. Use your money wisely; create a budget if necessary.

Overall, I guess the primary message is be careful. Choose wisely, budget your time and money, and do not be afraid to ask for help. Befriend upperclassmen in good standing, contrary to popular belief, they will help you out.