So today I got college orientation (early, I know) and my current state of mind is anxious. Basically because it's an out of state college and I don't know anybody there. Hopefully I'll get along with other arriving freshmen.
Anyway, I'll be out of town (and away from my computer) for today and most of tomorrow. I just want to ask college students/graduates this: what are some pointers for any freshman?
Get involved. Best way to meet new people and ease into Uni/College life. Whether it's joining the maths club, football team, book club, steering committee, film club... whatever it happens to be that you find takes your fancy just go for it. You've lost nothing if you find it's not for you and back out after a week.
ReplyDeleteI'm at an out-of-state college too and didn't know anyone when I first went there. The main thing for me was to figure out time management. I wanted to be as involved as I could in activities where I got to meet and know other people but then classes got hard and I freaked out.
ReplyDeleteSo, going in, make sure you know:
1) The best atmosphere for you to study in (alone, at a desk, in your room, at the library, in a group, with music, etc).
2) Something you can do for stress relief if you start to feel overwhelmed.
3) What your limits are. A lot of students push themselves all the way academically and socially (socially is harder for me, academically is harder for others) and are just DEAD by the end of the semester. Learn to pace yourself.
Also, look around for Facebook groups for incoming freshmen for your school. I was able to meet a few people online before I actually got there, and that was reassuring for me.
Everyone is in the same boat as you, really.
ReplyDeleteI mean when I went to my college - basically the last two years of high school in the UK - (which I did drop out of, but that's because education was never for me, really) no one knew anyone, and it was just the matter of speaking to people, finding common interests etc. which is of course, difficult at first for anyone because you feel at of your comfort zone.
Usually at the start in new places, you'll end up speaking to the people you see the most (those in your class). It'll make you feel a lot more confident to spread your wings once you have a couple of people to speak to, so I guess it's just about speaking to people at first!
I definitely agree about getting involved with a group or activity. If your campus has one that pertains to your major, it would definitely be worth joining. The most important people to get to know are the people in the same major as you. They're the ones you're going to see the most of during college and will probably be the ones you're going to be most in touch with after graduation, so it's never too early to get to know those people.
ReplyDeleteTaking a foreign language class is another good way to get to know people. When you're in a 100-level language class, it's all about the basics like "Hi, what's your name?" and "Where are you from?" So basically it's a class all about introducing yourself.
Once you move in, don't be afraid to knock on your neighbors' doors and say hello. If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask. There will be plenty of people around who would only be too happy to help you out.
Other than that, just don't overwhelm yourself. Keep your first semester schedule fairly light. You can always take on more credit hours in the future if you'd like, but you really don't want to overdo it right off the bat. And when you're joining groups, just make sure you're leave sometime for yourself. I had a couple of semesters where I was so busy that I rarely had any time for myself and believe me, it was not fun at all.
I agree, get involved. My first few years of college I ignored nearly everyone and just went to my classes and went straight home. I found that I enjoyed college way more when I got involved with the extra activies (sports, clubs) they provide.
ReplyDeleteAlso think long and hard about your major. I switched mine half way through and ended up going to school for an extra year before I graduated. I'm happy with my degree, but my original efforts don't seem worth it all anymore.