With the end of August approaching comes the end of summer and the beginning of a new school year. The nerves of starting a new semester at university are starting to kick-in as you pack up your bags and begin to shop for school supplies. I wanted to reach out to my younger audience, through this post, to share some advice that I really could’ve used during my college career. So, think of me as your older sister passing down some “words of wisdom”:
1.Make a schedule BEFORE you sign-up for your classes.
Whether you’re a Freshman in college or you’re still trying to navigate your way through as an upperclassman, when scheduling your classes make sure to set aside time the day BEFORE you’re scheduled to sign-up for them and make 2 different ideal class schedules.
– Log into your college portal and check your degree/minor course requirements you must satisfy in order to graduate.
– See what classes they’re offering for the upcoming semester.
– After finding out which professor is teaching the course for the semester, make sure to research them on https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/ ! This has helped me avoid so many bad professors on campus.
– Create your makeshift ideal schedule that you’d prefer with the best professors and times.
– Create a 2nd best ideal schedule in case all else fails (which being an underclassmen trying to fight for classes- it will.)
**never schedule an 8am for yourself unless you hate yourself. It was fine in highschool when classes weren’t as difficult but college 8am’s are on a whole different level of pain.
2. Think long-term.
You’re going to have to make a lot of important decisions in college. Whether you’re choosing your major/minor, electives, joining an organization, building relationships, studying abroad, or applying for jobs/internships- every decision you make should benefit your life in the long-run.
Ex: I knew that I wanted to study abroad before I graduated. So, I started planning and applying during my Sophomore year of college so that I could study abroad by that following winter!
3. Take advantage of alllllll the free shit on campus.
- Events
- Free food at said events
- School merch at home games
- Seminars
- Clubs!!!
- Cute giveaways at one of your student centers
You are paying too much money to be that person that “doesn’t care about participating in school activities.” Plus, where do you think all of these free events and goodies come from?? (your tuition) So, go to as many free events as you can and make the most out of your college experience!
4. Making friends at parties DO NOT WORK.
You’ll just end up with a bunch of random numbers in your phone of people who only hit you up about “the next function.”
If you want actual friends to chill with and build deeper connections with then join an organization that you’re interested in. You will meet the most incredible people by joining a club on campus and surrounding yourself with individuals who share the same passions and beliefs as you.
5. Learn from others and expand your mind.
Inside and outside of the classroom. Ask your friends about their majors and what classes they’re taking. Talk to other people about politics, religion, and what’s going on in the world right now. Talk about history. Talk about the future. Take a class you would have never thought of taking before. One of the best parts about college is that there is SO much to learn from different people around the world. You will be surprised how much you can learn and change throughout even a year.
6. JUST MAKE TIME AND DO THE FREAKING EXTRA CREDIT.
Not every professor offers extra credit and you wanna bet your ass that most of them don’t believe in “curving grades” or “rounding your grade up.” So, if they offer extra credit, just do it. It’ll really help boost you from a C+ to a B- and make you look smarter to your parents. HAH.
7. Take a language course, dude.
Don’t be that one person who only knows how to speak English and only immerses themselves in “American culture”- hoooow borrrring. Expand your horizons and culture yourself a little bit, ca’mon.
8. If you’re going to a party:
- Always make sure to let a friend know where you’re putting your key and card.
Ex: my credit card would always be in my front left pant pocket and my room key would be in my left boot. This ensures that if you get too drunk, your friend can always help you make sure you have everything before you leave the party. - Never leave the party alone. Ever. Walk or ride share back with a friend.
- NEVER put your drink down!!! Always be sure to have your drink in your hand at all times. If you lose it, get a new one. Going the extra mile to squeeze past sweaty party people to get a new drink is better than risking your drink being drugged. Trust me, it really does happen.
- Be careful with mixing different alcohols: “Liquor before beer you’re in the clear. Beer before liquor you’re never sicker.”
- NEVER EVER DRINK AN ENERGY DRINK OR COFFEE BEFORE PREGAMING WITH ALCOHOL. Unless you want serious heart palpitations and chest pains, just don’t do that to yourself. If you’re too tired to go to the party then just stay home, don’t be a dumbass and drink coffee so you can try to stay awake throughout the night.
- Handle yourself. No one- even the nicest person- no one likes taking care of the person who couldn’t handle their alcohol and throws their guts up on the sidewalk.
- Please drink a lot of water and eat a bag of chips before you go to bed. This will help dilute whatever terrible hangover you might have the next morning.
- Lastly, no one cares if you don’t go to the party. If you’re physically and mentally too tired to get ready for a long night out- don’t force yourself to go. Find the comfiest blanket and enjoy spending the night in. 🙂
9. Live in a dorm for as long as you can handle.
I found that people who started to live in an apartment right after their Freshman year missed out on the experience of getting to fully connect with other people. Living in a dorm, despite having an RA, meant that you got early notice about different free events happening on campus. You got to meet people on your floor and even make friends with the different people in your building. Staying up during the late hours with my friends in the study lounge and getting brunch/dinner with them every day at the dining hall is the reason why we’ve gotten so close. Then my friends introduced me to their friends, who introduced me to their friends, who eventually joined organizations by Sophomore-Junior year. Before I knew it, I found my network expanding right before my eyes. I probably knew at least one person in a majority of the organizations on campus.
10. Don’t expect people to be fully grown.
You would think that since everyone graduated highschool, people on a college campus are going to be so mature and cool. A bunch of intellectuals… (nopenopenopewrong.) Some people just never grow up. Some people can still be petty, mean, manipulative, and toxic. Learn to recognize these people and set your boundaries with them.
11. Do expect people to love you for who you are.
At the end of the day, we are all just humans wanting to love and be loved in return. Endlessly creating ourselves and evolving, you will meet people who will have your back no matter what and support you in all of your endeavors. People with whom you will go on crazy adventures with, laugh until your stomach hurts, and cry to when everything seems like it’s too much. So, create and surround yourself with good energy. (If you so happen to encounter a negative person then refer to point 10.)
12. Maintain your balance and have fun.
Finding a healthy balance of grades, self-care, social life, work, and extra-curricular activities is something that you will HAVE to figure out throughout the years. Your family is spending so much money for you to receive a better education. Your friends aren’t going to get your degree for you. You have to do that on your own. Focus on school but also don’t get too caught up in getting those perfect A’s. Do your homework and just have fun!
Take care of yourself. Live a little and then live a lot.
Your big sister for the day,
Jessica
