The period of transition from high school to college is an exciting one for students because they get a chance to meet new people, experience new roles, new routines and new ways of thinking about themselves. But all this can turn out to be quite challenging for them especially if they don’t know the expectations of their new institution or how to access the useful resources. They might feel stressed and overwhelmed with the first day of college approaching fast, but proper preparation can help them reduce their anxiety. Following are some tips and suggestions for first year students that will help make their transition to college a bit easier.
1. Organize Your Schedule
Keeping yourself organized will make your journey of transitioning from high school to college much easier. Applying at a college involves many stages starting from the application phase and registration and orientation session to note-taking of important assignments and exams. You must also need to figure out how you will adjust your schedule for participating in extra-curricular activities. So, you should start organizing your schedule early to make your transition more enjoyable.
2. Remain Connected And Updated
Before going to college, make sure that your PC is working properly because it will be an important source for letting you stay connected and updated with your environment.
3. Meet New People
A great thing about attending college is that you have the opportunity to meet different types of people with different financial backgrounds from all over the world. Never hesitate to meet new people at your college because they can turn out to be great friends. Students who are leaving the home for the very first time or are relocating to some other part of the country should contact their roommate before leaving. You can contact your roommate to ask what both of you need to bring to the dorm. This will help form a good relationship with the person with whom you’ll be living for the next one year.
4. Review Your Syllabus
Review your syllabus and course outlines at the start of the first semester. Let me emphasize it again, note down the due dates for important assignments, tests and exams. It is advisable to review your syllabus weekly so that you can organize the tasks that need to be accomplished first. Also, visit your college in advance so that you know how much time will take to reach there.
5. Get Familiar With Your Professors
Many first year college students are afraid to visit their professors. Since all professors have their office hours every week, students usually think that they should go to meet them only when they have a problem. Although this is right but being a new student, you can visit your professor to know about his field and his achievements. This will develop a strong relationship between you and your professor and will help you in future at the time of asking for a recommendation.
6. Manage Your Time Effectively
If you have a one hour class, you should spend at least two hours studying a single subject. This means that if you have three credit hours per week, you should devote six to eight hours in a week to a particular course. Spending time on a subject or “studying” involves reading the text, performing research and writing assignments, completing your homework, revising your notes and studying for exams.
James Lawton is a senior writer and student consultant at Writing Spot. He also writes for many educational blogs in his spare time. You can contact him at twitter.