Survive Your First Semester in College

Going to college is, for some students, a blessing. They can't wait for the freedom and handle it with ease. For others, however, the transition can be a little tougher than anticipated. The traditional college experience - dorms, parties, and maybe a little studying - all are exhilarating, but learning to coordinate all of those elements without Mom and Dad there can be daunting. Here are a few ways that you can learn to get through your first semester in college.

Try to Solve It On Your Own

You're bound to run into snafus. Perhaps your course schedule got mixed up, or the financial aid office lost the information about that scholarship you were supposed to get. The best way to learn to adjust to college life is to handle these issues on your own. Try not to alert your parents unless absolutely necessary. If financial aid is demanding $4,000 by next week, you probably want to call in reinforcements, but otherwise, work on problem-solving without your parents while you still have them as a backup plan.

Get Involved - In Moderation

While many people will advise you to take it easy on your commitments during your first year of college, you may find yourself with far too much free time, particularly if you were an active high school student. There is nothing wrong with getting involved. Go to meetings. Volunteer to be a stagehand for the drama department. Just be sure that you will have enough time for all of your commitments. Before you pipe up to say you'll do something, make sure that you consider how much time it will take.

Pace Yourself in Class

The college classroom is a different environment. Whether you're at a small school where intimate seminars are the norm or at a major university where you share your lecture with 400 other students, you will need to alter the way you approach courses. You get precious few reminders in college. Instead you need to put your exam and essay dates in your calendar as soon as you get your syllabus. Put in a little work each day for your courses, or the requirements will overwhelm you near the end of the term.

Follow Good Party Policies

Yes, you now can go to any party you'd like - and there never will be adults there! While that sounds great, it means that you will have to make the decisions for yourself on whether a party is the right place to be. Always be sure to go with a friend and make sure that you keep up with each other. If you drink alcohol, do so only out of containers you've opened yourself. Keep a cell phone on you so that you can call someone if need be. While college parties can be a blast, they also can be dangerous.

These tips sound simple, but thousands of college students drop out or get hurt every year because they didn't know how to take care of themselves. Make sure you're not one of them this year!