College Freshmen Tips

Going to college can be a life altering experience. There will be many new experiences in your life that will be happening fast. Now you will be responsible for doing everything on your own now and sometime it hard to adjust to all these new experiences. I went to college so I want to give new college freshmen some of my tips to make your first year of college easier.

The first thing to consider is joining a club. It's good for networking and you can make some new friends. It doesn't have to only be a major related club. There are many other fun clubs besides this to consider joining. Read your college newspaper for club and other important college information and then go to the club day, that all college host, during the first week of classes. Consider a bunch of clubs before you make a major decision on which club is best for you right now. You can even start your own club. Also you can become a student leader right away by joining the student council where you can help make campus life better for everyone.

Speaking of the newspaper you can write an article on a variety of topics. You don't have to have a lot a lot of experience to be a writer of a newspapers article either. Many employers look for job applicants who can provide writing samples.

Also, subscribe to some magazines like AD-Week or PR- Weekly if you thinking of these career choices. Many magazines offer subscriptions discounts for college students. There are many yahoo groups that are free to join on various topics that are good for networking. Most search engines offer them. Also, subscribe to free newsletters from Adweek, Mediaweek and Brandweek as examples of ways to keep track of trends in the advertising industry. Many websites and companies offer similar free email newsletters.

Also, realize that for real news and to be taken seriously stop reading the tabloids and tabloid magazines as your main news source. Read some trade papers like the The World Street Journal and learn about international news by reading the New York Times. This is another great way to keep track of trends in any industry you choose as a career.

Work on campus. Campus offices will be more understanding and flexible with hours that you need to use for studying and schoolwork.

Also, for the summer, try to get to get an internship where you see if the industry you are thinking of majoring is your right career choice. Start job hunting by February because the good internships go fast. Sometimes they require good grades and essays also for you to be even considered for the internship. Go to your college career center for internship information, information about taking a career placement test and free workshops on interview tips.

Good grades also help in getting in study aboard programs. Many colleges want you to have a B average or better to apply. Here you will get the chance to see other cultures and see Europe or any other country you choose at a fraction of the price. Also, once you are in Europe it is cheaper to travel within the country. Another way to travel cheaply is try to get a job as a summer nanny with a family traveling to Europe for the summer. You can work hard and still have time off to enjoy Europe in your spare time. Also, if you travel to Europe you save a lot of money because you are a student. You save on rail travel and even airlines. Travel when you are young and have less responsibility. Don't be in such a hurry to graduate and spend your summer taking summer courses to get ahead. The real world will come soon enough.

Get to know your guidance counselor. They can give a lot of good advice on classes. Also, don't be a rush to declare your major. Remember the above-mentioned internship. Also, always double check that the classes you choose are what you need for your major. Don't waste money on unnecessary classes. Spend some time and look up your teachers' elevations. You don't have sit through a semester with a miserable professor. Try to find and get recommendations from previous students. Get some advice from these former students like if the professor uses the textbook a lot and if it necessary to buy the book. You can even copy the textbook chapters that the professor gives for reading and then return it. Even if you keep the book as an additional study aid, it a good idea to make copies to carry around to class rather then a big heavy textbook to carry with you everyday. See if former students will give you some old exams so you can use them for additional study aids. Also, think about taping the lectures so you can go over what the professor said. Ask the professor if this is OK first. You can save money by taking out novels from the library. Also, visit your professors during their office hours. You pay their salary and they are paid to be there to help you. Plus, when you can be in lecture classes with five hundred students, maybe if they know you this can help you get a better grade because you tried hard and were determined to get help.

Also, join study groups with people you know are serious. Don't use study groups time to just to hang out with your friends but make it a serious study group? Also, if you finish your term paper early, go to your college writing center and have one of the English tutors look over your term paper to get their critical first opinion. They can catch grammar mistakes and content mistakes that you may not even be aware of. Also, if you start early even your professors can help you in some tips on how to improve your paper. Party and socialize after you get a good grade on the exam.

Mix up your hard and easy classes. You don't want to overwhelm yourself the first year. Make a realistic schedule. If you are not an early bird don't take any classes early unless it is necessary for your major. Also, is an early class wise to take on a Monday if you have been at parties all weekend? Another option is that you can work during the day and then take night classes, classes before work or take weekend classes. Also, try to take math and science classes first since you may remember some of the material from high school, which can help you, grasp the subject easier. Also, don't save hard classes for your senior year to take at the last minute. You don't want to have the stress or worry of failing them your final term. Let your final year be relaxing. I repeat the above advice and recommend again mixing up your hard and easy classes all throughout your college years. I have seen college seniors sweat over hard classes because they waited for the last term to take a hard class that they now had to take to graduate.

Going to college is a learning process to take one step at time. I hope these tips will help you as you move through your college years.