Common College Freshman Mishaps

Are you on your way to college for the first time? Once you arrive, you will need to know how to hit the ground running. You will learn everyday mistakes new college students make.

They do not take notes. I did not start doing this until late in my first semester as a college freshman when a classmate asked me why I was never taking notes.

They walk out of class early, especially if it is a large one. I did this in a theater class I was flunking in my first semester until my dad learned about this after asking my teacher why I was not doing well.

They fall asleep in class. I accidentally fell asleep in class once in a while early on. Once my Spanish teacher warned me I would be kicked out of class if he caught me sleeping again, I started always taking a nap before going to my first class of the day and perhaps during the time between my classes.

They do not get all of the course textbooks they need. I did not get the book for an economics course I was doing poorly in until my parents got on me to do it.

They do not use the campus resources available to them. I did not go to the math lab almost every day until my second time taking college algebra.

They miss meeting some of their course requirements. I did not start going to the lab to take the weekly audio lesson for a French class until my professor brought it to my attention.

They expect to be pampered. Being accustomed to their high school teachers walking around to check up on them, they wait for their professors to do the same thing. Professors do not like to baby you, as you are an adult.

They miss out on having long-lasting relationships. I never asked female students I talked to for their phone numbers.

They do not have everything they need for their big tests. You must keep every quiz you get back because you might see some questions that are on it again on your midterm and final exams.

They act up. They are too tardy, loud, disruptive, etc.

They manage their time poorly. One thing I did wrong at first was spending an hour walking home to eat and do other things then spending an hour walking back to school to study. Another blunder I made was spending about an hour studying the notes for all my classes each day in addition to studying my books - I eventually discovered you can get away with waiting until the last few days before a test to fully go over your notes.

You have learned everyday mistakes new college students make.