How to Have a Successful Freshman Year in College

Don't waste your valuable time as a college freshman reliving the mistakes of others who have gone before you. Build on their hard-earned experience, but don't repeat it. There are fundamentals of freshman that you can employ to help you thrive during your freshman year.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Willingness to benefit from the hard-earned experience of those who have gone before you.

1. Establish a rapport with the college professor or instructor.-
   Find out his or her office hours and make an appointment to check in with him or her in the first week or so of class.
2. Attend class. Notes posted online are fine as a supplement- but nothing replaces being there.
3. Pick out someone in each class and make him or her your friend. Going through the class together makes all the difference in anticipating what to study for tests and to discuss the material as a way to understand and reinforce it.
4. Stay current with all your classwork.-
   This might have worked in high school, but it is not the way to go in college. Review your notes, reword them to make an imprint on your mind. Set yourself up on a time line to stay up-to-date on all assigned readings and work.
5. Problems?
   It happens to freshmen - as well as others. Move on this quickly. Most faculty members who hear from you early enough will be happy to work with you through a difficult time.
6. Identify your strengths and weaknesses early on.
   Freshmen, believe it or not, everyone has them.
   Strengths? Make the most of each one to stay on track in working toward your degree.
   Weaknesses? Identify a strategy to offset each one so that you can avoid the mistakes you may have made in the past. Have a remedy that will put those shortcomings in balance.
7. Take time for yourself.
   Manage your time wisely so that you have some time to rest, rejuvenate, and reflect.
   Reflect on your strategies and acknowledge for yourself what it is you are doing that works well and what it is you are doing that is counter-productive.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't suffer alone. Identify early who it is who may be able to help you.
• Take good care of you health-- rest and recreation are important. Find the kind that rejuvenates you for your return to the study mode.