Tips for College Freshmen

Attending college for the first time can be both exciting and scary, but there are ways to get the most out of the experience, both educationally and personally. Here are nine tips for college freshmen.

1. Polish Your Writing Skills. One of the most important tips for college freshmen is to take a writing class during your freshmen year. Do this even if it is not required by your school and you feel that you already are an excellent writer. Being able to write clearly and succinctly will pay enormous benefits, not just while you are in school but in the workplace as well, and even good writers can get better.

2. Seek Out the Best Teachers. To get the most out of your college education, find out who are the best teachers at your school (especially in, but not only in, you major) and, if possible, take their classes. Search the internet, look at student evaluations, talk to other students and alumni, and check with your advisor to find out which professors have the best reputations as teachers and then take full advantage of this incredible resource.

3. Attend Class. Attend class regularly and pay attention. Falling behind is a sure way to increase your stress levels later in the semester and can have a disastrous effect on your grades, so make a point of keeping up right from the start.

4. Don't Over Schedule. Don't overload your schedule with classes, clubs and extracurricular activities, especially during your first semester at college. Use this period to hone your organizational skills and to judge your ability to handle college-level classes. If you find that you can easily handle your first-semester schedule, you can always add classes and activities the second semester.

5. Ask for Help If You Need It. If you are having problems with a class, talk to your professor and your advisor as soon as possible about what resources are available to assist you.

6. Read a Newspaper. This is one of those tips for college students that won't often hear, but try to read a newspaper every day. While this may not seem very relevant when you are juggling classes and writing papers, you may be surprised at the connections that you discover between what is happening in the world and what you are learning in the classroom, connections that may provide new and unexpected perspectives.

7. Triage. Learn to make judgments about how and where to spend your time. The reality is that in the long run not all classes on your schedule are equal. For example, those in your major are likely to be more relevant to you than some of the classes required by your school to get a degree. While that doesn't mean that you should just coast in the latter, it does mean that you may choose to spend less time on the work for some classes so that you can devote more to in-depth work for others.

8. Don't Overlook Your Health. You can't do your best work at college if you are not well, so be proactive about taking care of your health. Eat regular meals and try to eat healthy foods, including plenty of fruits and vegetables. Also, get regular exercise, consider some stress-busters like meditation or yoga, and get enough sleep.

9. Take Advantage of Your School's Non-Classroom Activities. Many colleges have lecture series that feature noted speakers on a variety of subjects. Take advantage of the opportunity to hear new perspectives and to learn about new subjects.

Sources:

Steve Pavlina, www.stevepavlina.com, 10 Tips for College Students

Stanley Fish, www.nytimes.com/fish, Op-Ed Contributor - The Hunt for a Good Teacher - NYTimes.com

James MacGregor Burns, www.nytimes.com/burns, Op-Ed Contributor - Off-Campus Life - NYTimes.com