What I Wish I Knew Before College

Hey everyone! So back to school season is almost here. I know those syllabus week feels slow and boring until you start to have actual assignments and maybe some of you have assignments already. For those of you who are incoming freshmen in college, hold on tight and no worries you will get through it. It may sound nerve-wracking when you first walk in, but at the end of the semester, it won’t feel as overwhelming than you initially thought. With my first year of college, many of those feelings your feeling right I once had when going into my first college classes. But there are some things I wished I knew before my first year of college.

1.Be prepared for your plans for the future to adjust throughout time. A lot of the times as incoming freshmen in college, we tend to have set goals, set plans whether it's our career choices, classes etc which are great to have. However, life changes and things we’ve planned out before entering college and sometimes it doesn’t work out the way we wanted to be. Sometimes those setbacks or adjustments can later lead in you into what you actually should be doing and guiding you along the way.

2. Registering for classes are not as easy as it seems. For those that are coming out of high school, when you want to sign up for classes, you always have classes that you have as back up in case a specific elective course is already full or packed with tons of students in the class, which guarantees you to have a class to take. Depending on the university or college you attend, signing up for classes are not easy to get as there is no guaranteeing that you will get the class you want. When it comes to registering, you are able to adjust the times and days for when you want to go to class, how much classes you want to take and sometimes professors. Although RateMyProfessor.com can be helpful with having an idea of what the class is like and what the professor expectations are, sometimes it's unavoidable depending on if the class is required for what you’re majoring or studying in and you have to stick with that profesor which can be a down side. However, it is better to have a good professor to be able to approach rather than choosing a prefered time to go to class.

3. Books are expensive. After registering for classes are over, and summer is in the mist of ending, sometimes there’s always an urge to get your textbooks sooner rather than later to avoid lines at the bookstore. However, it is better to wait a bit rather than buy everything early unless your class needs it right away. Books can be a hassle when it comes to prices, and sometimes costly and it's good to prepare beforehand but definitely wait to see if the textbook you needed often. If your textbooks don’t require a specific edition or code, definitely use Slugbooks.com which allows you to check for inexpensive prices on the textbook you need and compare prices with other popular textbook websites such as Amazon, Chegg, Abebooks and more. They also have renting prices for those that want to rent textbooks instead of purchasing it for books that you may not need for long term. E-books are also another way you can get your textbooks if you prefer not to carry them around. Another way to get books that you need is also asking other classmates or friends if they taken that class and possibly purchase the textbook from them if they don’t need it.

4. Take advantage of the resources you have while on campus. As the semester can be busy with assignments and projects, using the school’s resources is helpful when needed whether it is using the tutoring center for some help with assignments or talking with a counselor. Depending on what you are majoring in, having guidance through career resources helps with trying to find internships and learning to network with others can also build up your resume, and connections for your future job options. Using the resources while your on campus definitely will benefit you in the long run especially when going into college to expand onto having a career in life.

5. Friends will always come and go from your life. This may sound scary and crazy to hear, but it’s true. For those that just graduated from high school, friends may come and go as people move on into their new endeavors from the past. Though it isn’t easy at first to realize, at the end of the day, you won’t be stuck alone forever. With social anxiety and being introverted, sometimes there’s always this gut feeling where you think people perceive you as annoying and weird when you first meet them but sometimes it’s not always the case. Being yourself and having a small conversation can go a long way with a friendship and take time with opening up as you don’t need to be super confident to meet new people. The struggle is real when it comes to meeting new faces but as long as you just breathe and take your time with it, it will work out.

6. It’s okay to take some breaks. With having tons of deadlines for assignments, sometimes is stressful to deal with when trying to get things done all at once. Taking breaks from those assignments such as stretching, listening to music or journaling can help ease those stress and anxiety from piling up. While you are de-stressing, this also allows you to take it easy and get the assignments done more efficiently while you have gain tons of energy to be able to finish on time. This can also help with writing essays and those writer’s block comes in, allowing you to think about more ideas without stressing out as much.

7. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. During a lecture in class, or for any assignments, it’s always good to ask questions even if it sounds silly. Even for myself, most of the time I’m get pretty shy in with big classes and always end up waiting for someone to ask away but sometimes having clarifications on something or even having a discussion can not only let the professor know that you are paying attention to details but gives the satisfaction that you were able to get your answers without indulging on it later on before the deadline is near. However, if needed, you can always go to the professor’s office hours for a one on one discussion. Although, there are those moments when you do want to ask away, but can’t think of one at the spur of the moment, if there is time, you can always ask a friend or professor later on if your friends may not know.

8. Read and check your school course website frequently. As you’re taking many classes, make sure that you are frequently checking for any deadlines that are approaching, announcements about the assignments etc. It is also useful if there is any new information or any references that your professor may have that can be useful for any essays or research that needs to be done.

9. Don’t let grades define who you are and where your life takes you. Although it is important to do well in classes, it’s okay to have some B’s and C’s here and there in classes that are seemingly difficult. With some of my classes thus far, there’s been classes especially math classes that I have taken that I felt that I should of done better at, and felt that it was gonna affect me in the long run due to that setback. I had then let that grade that was given define my future and thinking that even though math is my weakest subject in school, I had to do the best that I can and make my best effort even if it was gonna take 3 tries to pass a class that wasn’t so easy for me.

10. Have some fun in college. This goes along with what was stated about friends but it’s always nice to have some fun while being safe, of course. Whether it is joining in on a club that is related to your major or interest, having some fun in school is a good way to just be in the moment and meet new people even if your high school friends whom you know for a long time are busy with other things in their life or to even grow that inner circle of friends.

Hope these help as you get into the new school year.

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Also, if you want more information from what you see here, you can check out more videos listed below:

Michelle Reed // WATCH THIS BEFORE YOU GO TO COLLEGE. Honest Freshman Advice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BxXMBeeOJI&t=185s

Natalie Anaka // Advice for College Freshman + What I Wish I Knew

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34JzrUVvAcM

Ally Hardesty // HOW TO SURVIVE YOUR FRESHMAN YEAR OF COLLEGE (ADVICE)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTDtP4CcJ6g

xoxo

Jacqueline

#college