What to Expect on the First Day of College

The jump between middle school and high school doesn't always seem like a very big one, but the jump from high school to college is huge. Here are some ideas of what to expect on your very first day of college.

What to Expect on the First Day of College: Not All Your Classes

Most colleges have schedules in which classes only meet 2-3 days per week, so on the first day of college, it is unlikely that you will attend all of your classes. This means that the second day of college is likely to be the first day of a few of your classes.

What to Expect on the First Day of College: Lots of Free Time

One of the most surprising aspects of the first day of college is how little time is actually spent in class. Especially if you are on the quarter system, you are likely to only be taking 3 classes at a time and spending a total of just 10 hours per week in class. This means that any given day, you will probably only have two hours of classroom time.

This does not mean that college is easy, though, because you can also expect at least 2-3 hours of homework per hour of class time. You will need to prioritize well with your free time to get everything done that you need to finish for classes.

What to Expect on the First Day of College: Work (at a Job)

With the high cost of college, many students who are on financial aid get a work-study job assigned to them so they can help out with paying tuition costs. Most of these jobs start up right away, so if you have a campus job, expect to go to it on your first day of college or soon after. Your schedule at work will be fitted around your class schedule, and many students spend as many hours at work as they do in class (10 hours per week).

What to Expect on the First Day of College: Homework Assignments

College professors do not waste any time in getting started, and they will typically assign homework, or at least reading, that needs to be completed before the second day of class. In many cases, professors will assign a double portion of reading because they lectured on the first day of class and want that assignment read plus another to prepare for the lecture on the second day of class.