College 101: How to Survive your College Freshman Year
- Aug 24, 2020
- 4 min read
Dear College Freshmen,
Congratulations, you have successfully made it into college! Unfortunately for you, it happened to be during a pandemic that has changed our daily lives tremendously. Never fear, though, you have enough time to enjoy yourself for the next four years. The following tips below will help your transition from a high school senior into a first-year college student.
Academics
Grades - college grades are on a different scale than high schools, so don’t beat yourself up if you don’t get Straight As your first semester. Try your best not to expect the same results from high school, or you may end up being disappointed.
Attend your classes - you may not feel like attending classes sometimes, but try your best to go. Skipping classes only leads you to miss important information or miss out on attendance points that can be the factor for you to transform a B to an A.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help - get tutoring and reach out to your professors if you’re struggling. You can email them or attend their office hours; they are there to help you succeed.
Avoid procrastination - knock out your assignments early, so you don’t have to worry about it at the last minute. Write down your tasks and deadlines in a planner or use the notes on your phone.
Time Management - this can be a hard task at first but manage your time wisely. Use a planner and block out time for getting your homework or studying done. Set reminders on your phone or create to-do lists to help you maximize your time.
I go by the quote, “Work hard, play hard,” so I finish my assignments in the mornings or early afternoons so that come evening, I’m free to attend events or just have fun.
Engagement
Get Involved - join organizations or attend different events to get to know people and make connections. If you are staying home, you can find a lot of organizations and events virtually. There should be a page that showcases all of the organizations your school has on its website.
If you are an introvert, try to step outside of your comfort zone and find just one person to talk to.
Go on adventures - one of the best experiences of college is being able to do activities with your friends last minute. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been to Wawa’s at 3 am, went to the beach around midnight, or went on late night drives with my friends. The majority of these times, I would have to work at 6:00 am the next day. Take advantage of the time you have now and enjoy yourself!
Build a network - stand out from your peers by getting to know your college professors, they can assist you with recommendation letters.
Build your resume - apply for internships or other job positions in the field you’re interested in so you can have experience. Also, get involved with at least one career-related organization and be an active member, this is another way to gain experience.
Stay in touch with your family even if your life is busy - they miss you, and it will be good to check in with them at least twice a week.
Mental Health
Take care of your mental health - if you start to feel stressed out, take part in relaxing activities. Some examples include getting your nails done, doing face masks, doing yoga, playing video games, reading a book, watching Netflix, or rewarding yourself with small gifts like a Starbucks Frappe. Remember that your mental health comes first!
Finance
Pay attention to the things you buy - it may not seem like much, but the little things can accumulate into a high cost by the end of each month. Keep track of how much you’re spending by checking your bank account daily, writing your costs down in a notebook, or creating an Excel Spreadsheet.
Budgeting - if you create this habit earlier on, it gets easier. Create a budget for how much you want to spend in a month. Take into account how much you may spend on your food, shopping, and other expenses. Make sure you stick to it and don’t go over the budget.
Save Money - every week or month put a certain amount of money into your savings account. If you save $25 a week, then $100 will go into your savings once a month so that by the end of the semester, you should have between $400-$500 in your savings account. Of course, this is all dependent on how much you make and your monthly budget.
There are a lot of YouTube videos you can watch about money management. My personal favorite is Camille Colazo. She has amazing financial tips and put out videos on a weekly basis. Here is one below:
Fitness & Nutrition
Freshman 15 is NOT a myth - studies have shown that college students tend to gain at least 10-15 pounds of weight during their freshman year. You have more freedom to eat whatever you want whenever you want, as there are a variety of options. Try to track what you eat using different apps like MyFitnessPal, and you can see how much carbs/calories you are consuming daily.
In my case, I worked out at the gym, but I ate too much food high in carbohydrates so it didn’t balance each other out. For example, my roommates and I use to order Papa Johns pizza at least twice a week in my freshman year. If I had used MyFitnessPal earlier on, I doubt I would have continued eating pizza every week.
Create healthy habits - this tip is tough to do, but it is worth every bit of effort. Try to create a habit of eating healthy snacks, drinking a lot of water, and working out at the gym. Swap your Doritos for Veggie Straws or fruit.
The last word of advice, start a YouTube Channel! One of my regrets is not starting this during my freshman year in college. You can use this channel to help document your college journey from freshman to senior year and deliver advice to other individuals who may need it. Not only can you see your growth but your subscribers can too.
If you have any questions or want more advice, feel free to comment or use the contact form below. Good luck with your first year and remember that you got this! Have fun and enjoy your college journey :)
Sincerely,
The Unrivaled Gypsy
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