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10 Amazing Tips for Your First Year at College

#YouCanDoIt

By Nancy DPublished 5 years ago 4 min read
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10. Take advantage of Frosh Week and other events.

Every school is different, but there will always be fun stuff to participate in. Don't let it pass by, take advantage of it all. You will thank yourself later.

  • Look for clubs to join!
  • Don't sleep through the water balloon fight. I did :(
  • If there is a cool hypnotist coming as free entertainment... take advantage of that free entertainment.
  • Keep your eye out for event boards. There is fun stuff on there... sometime... but it's worth checking out.

9. There is always something to do.

You might find yourself thinking "Hmm ... I have no homework right now" ... WRONG! Look over your syllabus, you probably just forgot something or could even maybe do an assignment a little early. Unfortunately, there is always something to do in college.

8. It's not tuition you need to be afraid of, it's the cost of books.

Tuition is clear, you see it and it's to the point. You are probably getting funding for tuition and you only have to pay a $500 intro fee at first. So you have time to pay off your tuition. However, you probably forgot about books and that one teacher says you need a $120 book for your first assignment due next week. Great. However, I do have some advice to help you with this.

  • Try looking for used books. Either from an old book shop downtown or from a trading site for people who have already take the class, there are other options out there than paying full price.
  • Sometimes you can rent books. You need a visa for this, and you would have to get there early before everyone else has rented theirs from the school's book shop.
  • You don't always have to buy them before the first class. Some books you barely ever use... and it wasn't worth the $80 at the school book store. Sometimes the teacher might even say one book is more or less optional during their first lecture.
  • Maybe you can borrow a book from a friend. I never had much luck with this, but I have heard other people do this all the time. It would really save you some money.

7. If you are going to have a part time job your first year, make sure to leave enough time to travel from class to work and vice versa.

It's actually not recommended to have a part time job your first year of college. However, if you have to or just got an amazing opportunity, make sure to manage your time carefully. When you are filling out your availability for part time jobs... make sure to leave time for travel. If you are using a bus, which you probably are, please remember that sometimes the bus is late and they aren't all that reliable.

6. Don't wait to until exam week to study

It's best to learn things in small quantities throughout the semester, go over your class notes and even start to organize things. If you wait until the last minute for everything... you will be very stressed. It's not worth it, I promise.

5. Go to class.

This sounds obvious, but you might find yourself sleeping through early lectures more and more... after all no one is there to yell at you anymore... and teachers could easily not care or not even notice if the class is big enough. College is expensive, so take advantage of what they are teaching.

4. Know your limit with alcohol and other fun stuff.

There is always too much of a good thing, and you don't have to keep up with your friends who have a much higher tolerance in drinking alcohol than you do. Learn your limit and stick to it.

Keep in mind that different types of alcohol have different percentages, so you might want to slow down if you are trying a stronger drink.

Oh, and don't let other people mix drinks for you. They aren't trying to hurt you... but they could easily drink a lot stronger drinks then you are used to.

3. Learn to do laundry.

I was terrified to try doing laundry for the first time... it turns out it's actually not that bad. With that said... I do have some advice.

  • Make sure to check your pockets before you put things in the wash. You don't want your phone to be in one of the pockets.
  • Zip up all zippers and button up all buttons. If you don't they might get caught on something and then rip off during the first wash cycle. It happened to me once, it was sad.
  • Empty the lint trap in the dryer. If you don't it could start a fire.
  • If you fill the washing machine too much, it could overflow and cause a mini flood on the floor. This actually happened to someone else during my first week of college. True story.
  • If you are too afraid to leave your laundry alone... bring a book or even some homework with you. If that's not your style... bring a handheld video game console.

2. Don't be afraid to try new things.

Most students won't have this problem, but for those of you who do... you have to come out of your safety zone... just a bit. It's okay to have a little bit of fun... in fact, it's actually encouraged. Work hard, play hard.

Except for of course heroin and cocaine... be afraid to try those new things. Seriously, don't do drugs and stay in school.

1. Be yourself.

You have probably heard this a million times and still roll your eyes at this advice... but it's true. This is the best advice that could ever be given to anyone during their first year of college. There is no need to reinvent yourself.

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About the Creator

Nancy D

Facebook @NancyDBlogging

Twitter @BlogsNancy

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